PM Modi addresses an Indian community event in Auckland, New Zealand (Picture credit: PTI) NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi on Saturday listed out his government’s numerous measures for Sikhs, including FCRA clearance for Golden Temple, at a diaspora event in Auckland in an outreach to the community, who make up a sizeable part of people of Indian origin in New Zealand and maintain close ties with their native state Punjab where assembly polls are due early next year.With PM Christopher Luxon in attendance, PM Modi said Indians contribute to the development of their adopted country and stated that he felt proud when their positive role was acknowledged by the host government.”We love our motherland and dedicate ourselves equally to our ‘karmbhoomi’,” he said, before turning to his government’s focus on conserving India’s heritage and citing its emergency measures to bring back copies of Guru Granth Sahib from crisis-hit Afghanistan following Taliban’s takeover of Kabul.Lauding Sikh gurus, he said when members of the community brought up problems they faced in offering service at Golden Temple in connection with FCRA, his government immediately addressed them.PM Modi spoke of the ongoing work to connect Hemkund Sahib with a ropeway to make the holy place located at a high altitude more accessible to pilgrims and his government’s decision for annual commemoration of the martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh’s sons.In this context, he noted that the family of his Cabinet colleague Hardeep Puri had preserved the shoes worn by the last Sikh guru and his wife for 300 years. As they wanted the sacred relics open to the viewing of devotees, his government on the advice of experts turned them over to Patna Sahib Gurdwara, which is at the site of the guru’s birthplace, he said, adding that he was present during the ceremony.PM Modi’s 12 years in office have been marked by his repeated outreach to Sikhs to deepen BJP’s acceptance among the community, which is in a majority in Punjab and has been traditionally lukewarm to the party’s unabashed championing of Hindutva. With assembly polls approaching in Punjab where BJP’s vote share has increased on back of local satraps joining party over last few years, BJP is looking to win over a section of Sikhs to emerge as a strong force.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosBig Setback To Mamata Banerjee As Loyalist Anubrata Mandal Joins Ritabrata-Led Rebel CampOperation Lotus In Kashmir? CM Omar Abdullah Claims BJP Offered NC MLAs Rs 20-30 Crore In JammuSIA Kashmir Secures Interpol Red Corner Notice Against Hizbul Terrorist KandooWhat India Gained From PM Modi’s New Zealand Visit: Defence, Trade, Indo-Pacific & More15 Indian Tourists Confirmed Dead As Speedboat Capsizes Off Vietnam’s Phu Quoc IslandSonam Wangchuk Rejects ‘Modern Gandhi’ Label As Hunger Strike Enters Fourteenth Day In DelhiSupriya Sule Dismisses Pawar-Shinde Meeting Row, Calls It A ‘Storm In A Tea Cup’ Amid SpeculationINS Mahendragiri Joins Indian Navy, Boosting Maritime Power Amid Indo-Pacific Challenges | WatchHighway Blocked, Resignations Threatened As BJP Faces Backlash Over Ticket Choice In MPNEET Paper Leak Traced To Contracted Paper Setters, Charge Sheet Likely This Month | Watch123PhotostoriesWhy India is facing a diabetes explosion: Stanford’s top 2% scientist reveals the hidden reasons Indians develop it younger than the rest of the worldFrom Priyanka Chopra to Ananya Panday: 5 best Wimbledon looks ever worn by Indian celebritiesChristopher Nolan’s best films to watch, ahead of ‘The Odyssey’: From ‘Oppenheimer’ to ‘Memento’10 foods that quietly contain too much saltWHO warns global cancer cases could nearly double by 2050; lifestyle changes, pollution and delayed diagnosis are fueling the riseAnkur Warikoo’s viral post on love after 20 years of marriage is striking a chord online10 foods that originated in India but became famous around the worldAlia Bhatt elevates a classic silk saree with modern draping at Akansha Ranjan Kapoor’s wedding festivitiesStylish Shubman Gill joins Anjali Sachin Tendulkar at Wimbledon 2026; fans ask, ‘Where is Sara?’World’s 10 most populous cities in 2026 every traveller should know123Hot PicksTravis Kelce and Taylor SwiftBlake LivelyAlex OvechkinJayden Adams DeathAlex PereiraJayden Adams Net WorthNico HischierStrait of HormuzSimone BilesTop TrendingWilliam NylanderVietnam Boat AccidentTelangana Techie Wife MurderFIFA World Cup 2026Chhattisgarh Student MurderTS EAMCET Phase 1 seat allotmentRamesh MhatreDelhi NCR rainGurgaon EncounterIran war
NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi on Saturday listed out his government’s numerous measures for Sikhs, including FCRA clearance for Golden Temple, at a diaspora event in Auckland in an outreach to the community, who make up a sizeable part of people of Indian origin in New Zealand and maintain close ties with their native state Punjab where assembly polls are due early next year.With PM Christopher Luxon in attendance, PM Modi said Indians contribute to the development of their adopted country and stated that he felt proud when their positive role was acknowledged by the host government.“We love our motherland and dedicate ourselves equally to our ‘karmbhoomi’,” he said, before turning to his government’s focus on conserving India’s heritage and citing its emergency measures to bring back copies of Guru Granth Sahib from crisis-hit Afghanistan following Taliban’s takeover of Kabul.Lauding Sikh gurus, he said when members of the community brought up problems they faced in offering service at Golden Temple in connection with FCRA, his government immediately addressed them.PM Modi spoke of the ongoing work to connect Hemkund Sahib with a ropeway to make the holy place located at a high altitude more accessible to pilgrims and his government’s decision for annual commemoration of the martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh’s sons.In this context, he noted that the family of his Cabinet colleague Hardeep Puri had preserved the shoes worn by the last Sikh guru and his wife for 300 years. As they wanted the sacred relics open to the viewing of devotees, his government on the advice of experts turned them over to Patna Sahib Gurdwara, which is at the site of the guru’s birthplace, he said, adding that he was present during the ceremony.PM Modi’s 12 years in office have been marked by his repeated outreach to Sikhs to deepen BJP’s acceptance among the community, which is in a majority in Punjab and has been traditionally lukewarm to the party’s unabashed championing of Hindutva. With assembly polls approaching in Punjab where BJP’s vote share has increased on back of local satraps joining party over last few years, BJP is looking to win over a section of Sikhs to emerge as a strong force.
