The arrangements made by the Punjab government for the 350th martyrdom anniversary (not Prakash Purab) of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, especially the awarding of tenders for pilgrimage buses and other services to firms outside the state, have become a major point of controversy.
SNPNEWS.IN News (Gurmail Kamboj): The Punjab government celebrated the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Sahib Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji (24 November) on a grand scale in recent days. With Sri Anandpur Sahib as the focal point, large-scale arrangements were made. These included three tent cities and a special session of the Punjab Legislative Assembly, organized keeping the historical significance in mind. These arrangements will continue from 19 to 30 November 2025, providing accommodation and facilities for lakhs of pilgrims. The arrangements have been set up in fields near Anandpur Sahib, connected with Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib and Virasat-e-Khalsa.
A special temporary session of the Punjab Legislative Assembly was held on 24 November 2025. This was the first time the Assembly session was convened outside Chandigarh at another location. Bhai Jaita Ji (Bhai Jiwan Singh) was the Sikh who had protected and brought back Guru Ji’s sacred body. Large waterproof tents and special pandals were erected where arrangements were made for MLAs and VIPs. In this session, a resolution was passed declaring Anandpur Sahib and the Sri Harmandir Sahib area as holy cities. The session remained open until 29 November.
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However, the arrangements made for these events have sparked a major controversy. After claims emerged that contracts worth approximately ₹50 crore for langar, cleanliness, traffic control, drone shows, light & sound shows along the Nagar Kirtan route, and pilgrimage arrangements were awarded to companies from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, the issue blew up.
A private YouTube channel spoke to workers who had arrived from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh about a month earlier. During the events (especially the Nagar Kirtan), photographs surfaced showing the initial letters of out-of-state vehicle number plates covered with tape. Following this, the matter gained massive traction.
According to claims, a major event management firm from Uttar Pradesh and a Delhi-based logistics company (both non-Punjabi firms) were involved in executing all these arrangements. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) strongly objected, terming it a decision that harms Punjabi industries and commercializes religious events.
The core of the controversy lies in the allocation of tenders/contracts for these arrangements to contractors from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Sikh organizations, opposition parties, and local residents have sharply criticized the move, viewing it as a policy of “handing over Punjabi heritage to outsiders”.
Furthermore, a huge controversy erupted over the buses used for the Chief Minister’s pilgrimage scheme, which were registered in Uttar Pradesh. After allegations that contracts were awarded without transparency, opposition parties called it a “mistake that damages Punjabi identity”.
From the very beginning, the SGPC objected that the government organized separate events without consulting them and awarded contracts for light & sound shows, drone shows, langar arrangements, traffic control, etc., to outside firms from Delhi and UP. The total value of these contracts is said to be around ₹50 crore. SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami described it as “interference in Sikh heritage” and “commercialization”.
In July 2025, while responding to the SGPC’s criticism of the government holding separate events, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had said:“Does the SGPC hold the copyright to celebrate the martyrdom or Prakash Purab of the Guru Sahibs? The Gurus belong to the whole of Punjab and the country, not just one institution.”
Even after the martyrdom anniversary events organized by the Punjab government in November, no fresh clarification has been issued by the government regarding the controversy that erupted later. As the opposition (SAD) had alleged that contracts were awarded without transparency, and since it is a religious matter, the Punjab government appears to have considered it better to ignore the controversy altogether.