Martyrs' kin object to Jallianwala Bagh makeover

Families of martyrs have objected to the work done by the government in the name of beautification in Jallianwala Bagh and have demanded that the Amar Jyoti be kept back at its original place.

Amritsar: Families of martyrs have objected to the makeover of the Jallianwala Bagh which has been reopened for tourists after one-and-a-half years of renovation. In a letter to the Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, they said that, in the name of renovation, the sanctity of this place for martyrs has been defiled.

Expressing deep sadness over this move by the government, the families said that the work done by the government in the name of beautification was a humiliation of the martyrs. They said that with the change of the place of the Amar Jyoti (eternal flame) and installation of disco lights, the identity of Jallianwala Bagh has gone.

Stating that this is a place of martyrs and not of entertainment, they demanded that the Amar Jyoti should be kept back at its original place. They also demanded that the central government should give martyr status to Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha, and Shaheed Udham Singh and honour them with the Bharat Ratna.