May 'deeply regrets' Jallianwala Bagh massacre

British Prime Minister Theresa May said that United Kingdom deeply regrets the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre of hundreds of Indians. Falling short of a complete apology, she added that it was a shameful scar on British-Indian history.

London: British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday said she "deeply regrets" a notorious 1919 massacre of hundreds of Indians in the northwest city of Amritsar by British colonial forces.

May stopped short of issuing a formal apology for her country's actions, but said it was a "shameful scar on British Indian history."

"We deeply regret what happened and the suffering caused. I am pleased that today the UK India relationship is one of collaboration, partnership, prosperity and security. Indian diaspora make an enormous contribution to British society and I'm sure the whole House wishes to see the UK's relationship with India continue to flourish," she added as she addressed the House of Commons.

Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn however said that the victims and their families deserved "a full, clear and unequivocal apology."

Jallianwala Bagh was the site of an attack by British colonial troops on unarmed Indians attending a peaceful rally calling for independence.

More than 300 Indians were killed and 1,200 injured during the massacre, which galvanised the national independence movement and marked the beginning of the end of Britain's rule over the Indian subcontinent.