Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation on the 400th Parkash Purab of Guru Tegh Bahadur at the Red Fort in New Delhi on April 21 of this month. On the auspicious occasion, the Prime Minister will release a commemorative coin and postage stamp in memory of the 9th Guru of the Sikhs.

The Sikh Guru’s execution orders were passed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb from the Red Fort which will relive the Guru’s life, valour and sacrifice through a 15-minute light and sound show to mark the start of the two-day programme scheduled for April 20-21.

Home minister Amit Shah will open the programme on April 20 and 400 children will participate in the Shabad Kirtan on the occasion.

Addressing the media, Union Culture Minister G.K Reddy said that Guru Tegh Bahadur stood up to the atrocities of the Mughals by protecting the freedom of religion. He fought for the rights of Sikhs and Hindus, especially Kashmiri Pandits, to practice their faiths by strongly opposing forcible conversions

The programme is being organized by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.  Chief Ministers of different states, many prominent personalities from across the length and breadth of the subcontinent and abroad, will be part of the celebrations. This programme is being organized under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

The Minister said, “I have personally invited Chief Ministers of various states and prominent Sikh leaders including those from Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar, Patna Saheb and other leaders from prominent gurudwaras across the nation.”

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