'Stop immediately': Akali Dal's appeal to PM Modi as Golden Temple model set to go under hammer
Golden temple model
The leader of India's regional party in the state of Punjabhas appealed for stopping the auction of a Golden Temple model which was given as a gift to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Golden Temple located in the heart of Punjab's Amritsar is a spiritual place for Sikhs and is one of the holiest sites for them to visit.
Senior Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Badal raised his objections saying that auctioning the model would be "grossly disrespectful" and would hurt the "religious sentiments of the Sikh community".
The Golden Temple model is a part of the fifth e-auction of gifts received by PM Modi. The auction, which began earlier this month, includes various items such as replicas of the Sun Temple in Gujarat's Modhera, the Vijay Stambh of Chittorgarh, and a painting depicting a ghat in Varanasi.
In total, 900 items will be auctioned, some of which are displayed at the National Gallery of Modern Arts.
The e-auction is being organised by the Indian Ministry of Culture and it kicked off on October 2. The auction will conclude on October 31, 2023, as per the ministry's official website.
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According to reports, the starting price for the Golden Temple model is Rs 13,500 and the highest bid for this model is Rs 2,01,000. The plea by the Akali Dal leader comes when the auction is five days away from being closed.
Appeal to stop the auction
Sukhbir Badal said, "This model was presented as a sacred symbol of the gift and blessings of the Akal Purakh and the Guru Sahibs... My humble request to the Prime Minister to stop this auction immediately."
"If the government feels unable to handle this sacred and priceless gift, then I request that this sacred symbol be kindly handed back to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee," a post by Badal read on X social media platform.
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Earlier, Prime Minister Modi had announced the exhibition of these gifts on X.
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"Starting today, an exhibition at NGMA will display a wide range of gifts and mementoes given to me over the recent past. Presented to me during various programmes and events across India, they are a testament to the rich culture, tradition and artistic heritage of India," he posted on October 2.
(With inputs from agencies)