Kapurthala: French Twin-City, Historic Auction & House

The Deputy Mayor of Bobigny, France, Ranjit Singh has unveiled a plan to establish a twin-city partnership between Bobigny and Kapurthala. Ranjit from the Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) aims to capitalize on the shared architectural heritage of buildings designed by architect Maurice Mantout (1886-1953) to promote trade, tourism, and cultural exchange. Ranjit compared the Avicenne Hospital, Bobigny, and Sainik School Kapurthala located in the King’s erstwhile palace. The palace was commissioned by the last ruler of Kapurtala Jagatjit Singh (1872-1849). Bobigny is home to over 50K residents, including approximately 5K Panjabis, 90% of whom are Sikhs. Meanwhile, on 2 Apr, Kapurthala District and Sessions Judge Harpal Singh directed the land on which the historic Jagatjit Club will be put up for auction on 9 May. The auction is related to Phagwara resident Nirbhail Singh’s land at Hajipur village acquired by the Panjab government in 2002 for four-laning a state highway. Nirbhail was dissatisfied with the compensation. In another event, on 18 Apr, former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal's daughter Harshita Kejriwal married her college friend Sambhav Jain. The wedding was held at Delhi's Kapurthala House. Panjab AAP CM Bhagwant Singh Mann and his wife Dr Gurpreet Kaur danced at the ceremony to a famous old song by Shamsher Singh Sandhu sung by Surjit Singh Bindrakhiya: Tu Nhi Boldi (You don't speak) which goes on to say 'it is your friend who speaks through you.' The song is ironic because the way Panjab is being governed in the last three years, it seems Mann does not speak. Either Kejriwal or the Union Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah speak through him. Bharatiya Janata Party Panjab chief Sunil Jhakar punned on AAP’s ‘School of Eminence’ saying, ‘Kapurthala House has become a Marriage Palace of Eminence.’