An important meeting of the Punjab Cabinet was held today, after which Chief Minister Mann addressed a press conference. During this, Chief Minister Mann made several significant announcements and also explained the reason for not declaring a holiday on January 22. Chief Minister Mann stated that the Punjab government does not engage in politics based on caste while justifying the decision not to declare a holiday on January 22, the day of the consecration of Lord Rama’s idol in Ayodhya.
Many holidays for children have already been observed in Punjab. Moreover, a live telecast was scheduled for January 22, so there was no need for a holiday. Due to these reasons, an announcement of a holiday was not made. It is worth mentioning that there was confusion in Punjab regarding the holiday in government offices and schools on the day of the consecration of Lord Rama’s idol in Ayodhya. While Haryana and Chandigarh declared a holiday on January 22, the central government also announced a half-day holiday in central offices and educational institutions across the country. However, no order was issued by the Punjab government in this regard. Private schools had previously announced holidays at their own level. The decision of the Punjab government not to declare a holiday sparked political debates, and Chief Minister Mann became the target of criticism from opposition parties.