New Delhi, August 31 (UNI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday slammed the government over the new light and sound show and other modifications at Jallianwala Bagh — the site of a massacre where over 1,000 people died 102 years ago — after several netizens criticised it.
“Only those who do not understand the meaning of martyrdom can insult martyrs in such a way. I am the son of a martyr, I cannot tolerate this insult of martyrs at any cost,” Gandhi said in a tweet.
“We oppose this indecent cruelty,” he said.
“Those who didn’t struggle for freedom can’t understand those who did,” he added.
The renovated Jallianwala Bagh Smarak was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. The new features include the entrance gallery, through which General Dyer and his soldiers entered, being modified with sculptures, and a light and sound show. Several people criticised the modifications on social media.
On Monday, Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury also slammed the modifications calling it an insult to martyrs.
“Insulting our martyrs. The 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 said.
Kim A Wagner, a professor of global and imperial history, tweeted, “Devastated to hear that Jallianwala Bagh, site of the Amritsar Massacre of 1919, has been revamped – which means that the last traces of the event have effectively been erased.”
British MP Preet Kaur Gill tweeted, “Our history- being erased! Why?”
