Punjab CM asks US authorities to ensure sanctity of shrines

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today described as "deeply painful and shocking" the attack by gunmen on devotees at a Gurudwara in the US and urged the authorities there to ensure that the sanctity of religious shrines is maintained.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal is monitoring the situation in New Delhi and will take up the issue with the Union Government, an official spokesperson said here tonight.

The incident of firing in Gurdwara in Oak Creek is "deeply painful, shocking and highly condemnable". The Chief Minister has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene in the matter immediately and ask the US authorities to ensure security of devotees and the sanctity of the religious shrines all across America, the spokesman said.