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In Punjab, Bhagat Singh death anniversary will now be a state holiday: CM Bhagwant Mann
Also, the Punjab government will install statues of Bhagat Singh, BR Ambedkar and Maharaja Ranjit Singh at the Vidhan Sabha.
A day before the nation observes the 91st death anniversary of Bhagat Singh, the newly-elected Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab announced on Tuesday that March 23, the death anniversary of the freedom fighter, will be observed as a state holiday. The announcement was made by Bhagwant Mann, Punjab’s new chief minister who was sworn-in last week.
Besides announcing March 23 as a state holiday, the chief minister also moved a resolution in the assembly, recommending that installation of statues of Bhagat Singh and Dr BR Ambedkar in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. On Congress MLA Partap Bajwa's suggestion, the name of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, known popularly as ‘Sher-e-Punjab’ was also included in the resolution.
The House eventually passed a unanimous resolution recommending the state government to install statues of Bhagat Singh, BR Ambedkar and Ranjit Singh.
The Punjab government’s decision to announce March 23 as a state holiday comes as no surprise as Mann has always idolised the freedom fighter. The former stand-up comic wears a yellow turban which is closely associated with ‘Shaheed-e-Azam.’ Also, the AAP leader’s March 16 swearing-in ceremony was held in Khatkar Kalan, Bhagat Singh’s ancestral village.
Further, speaking immediately after taking oath, Mann said that the people of Punjab ‘took oath with me to fulfil the dreams of Bhagat Singh and Babasaheb Ambedkar.’
The AAP achieved a landslide win in the Punjab assembly elections, the polling for which took place on February 20. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party won 92 seats in the 117-member assembly, pushing the Congress out of power. The grand old party, meanwhile, was reduced to 18 seats, down from 77 in the 2017 polls.
