March 29, 2024 12:01 (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
PM Modi has mastered art of manipulating democracy, hurting Constitution: Mallikarjun Kharge | Mafia-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari dies of cardiac arrest at 63 | NIA arrests key conspirator in Bengaluru cafe blast case | Actor Govinda returns to politics after 14 years of 'vanvas', joins Eknath Shinde camp | 'To browbeat and bully others is vintage Congress culture': PM posts after 600 lawyers write to CJI
'Looks nice to me': Amarinder Singh contradicts Rahul Gandhi on Jallianwala Bagh renovation Jallianwala Bagh renovation
Image credit: Amarinder Singh Facebook

'Looks nice to me': Amarinder Singh contradicts Rahul Gandhi on Jallianwala Bagh renovation

India Blooms News Service | @indiablooms | 31 Aug 2021, 08:55 pm

New Delhi/IBNS: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday supported the renovation of the Jallianwala Bagh for which the Centre has been facing flak from the oppositions and historians on social media.

The Congress government in Punjab has also been under glare with many questioning why it did not flag the construction that ended up renovating the site instead of preserving history.

Majority of the criticisms has been directed at the hi-tech galleries that have replaced the stark, unadorned passage through which British General Dyer had led his men and ordered them to open fire on the thousands of men and women gathered for a peaceful protest.

In an Iapparent attempt to support the renovations, Singh told reporters: "I don't know what has been removed. To me it looks very nice."

The stance is completely different from Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who called the renovation an "insult to the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh".

"Such an insult to the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh can only be done by those who do not know the meaning of martyrdom. I am the son of a martyr - I will not tolerate the insult of martyrs at any cost. We are against this indecent cruelty," Gandhi tweeted in Hindi earlier in the day.

"Those who didn’t struggle for freedom can’t understand those who did," Gandhi said slamming the Narendra Modi government.

Amarinder Singh's comment comes amid a crisis within the state Congress, where a section of leaders have rebelled against the Chief Minister's leadership and wants him removed from the top post.

While the Central leaders have so far refused to comply, they have also elevated cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Sidhu to head the party's state unit.

Several other opposition leaders had slammed the renovations, saying the new construction has taken away the dignity of the place and horror of the day 102 years ago when British General Dyer opened fire on a peaceful protest.

Earlier, historian S Irfan Habib had tweeted: "This is corporatisation of monuments, where they end up as modern structures, losing the heritage value. Look after them without meddling with the flavours of the period these memorials represent."

One of the hardest criticisms came from CPM's Sitaram Yechury, who had said, "Only those who stayed away from the epic freedom struggle can scandalise thus".

"Insulting our martyrs. Jallianwala Bagh massacre of Hindus Muslims Sikhs who gathered together for Baisakhi galvanised our freedom struggle. Every brick here permeated the horror of British rule. Only those who stayed away from the epic freedom struggle can scandalise thus," he had written.

On Apr 13, 1919, people had gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh to protest against the arrest of pro-Indian independence leaders Dr Saifuddin Kitchlu and Dr Satya Pal.

In response to the public gathering, British Brigadier-General R E H Dyer surrounded the Bagh, sealed the only entrance, and fired on the crowd, leading to deaths of at least 1000 people and around 1200 people being wounded.
 

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Related Images
PM Modi in Bhutan 22 Mar 2024, 06:53 pm
PM Modi in Tamil Nadu 28 Feb 2024, 07:07 pm