'Some people cannot understand patriotism and sacrifice'

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday flayed the Centre over extinguishing the eternal flame lit up at Amar Jawan Jyoti and for merging it with the National War Memorial.

New Delhi:Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday took to Twitter to lambast the government over extinguishing the eternal flame lit up at Amar Jawan Jyoti.

"It is a matter of great sadness that the immortal flame that used to burn for our brave soldiers will be extinguished today. Some people cannot understand patriotism and sacrifice - never mind… We will once again light the Amar Jawan Jyoti for our soldiers!," Rahul tweeted in Hindi.

Congress party too targeted the government over extinguishing the eternal flame lit up at Amar Jawan Jyoti, alleging that it is like "extinguishing history and is nothing short of crime".

Congress MP Manish Tewari tweeted, "Extinguishing Amar Jawan Jyoti tantamounts to extinguishing history For it commentates sacrifice of those 3,483 brave soldiers who cleaved Pakistan into 02 parts and redrew map of South Asia post partition It is ironical that in 50 th year of liberation of Bangladesh, Government seems to be working overtime to erase India's finest hour in Post Independent History".

He further added saying Amar Jawan Jyoti is imbued in the National Consciousness and a billion people have grown up venerating it. "Why can't India have two eternal flames? Amar Jawan Jyoti & National War Memorial," he questioned.

"Redeveloping the Central Vista was hubris enough but extinguishing the eternal flame at India gate is nothing short of a crime. I am surprised that the nation is silent as a national icon would be snuffed out in the project to re-write History," he added in the tweet.

The eternal flame at the India Gate will be extinguished after 50 years on Friday and will be merged with the flame at the adjoining National War Memorial (NWM) in the run-up to the Republic Day.

The eternal flame known as Amar Jawan Jyoti was built in 1972 underneath the India Gate arch to commemorate the soldiers martyred in the Indo-Pak War of 1971. It is a memorial symbolised by an inverted bayonet and soldier's helmet over it with an eternal flame burning beside it.