Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said the Punjab government will make efforts for getting martyr status for Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. Mann visited Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of Bhagat Singh in SBS Nagar where he paid homage to the martyr.
Interacting with the family members of Bhagat Singh, including Teji Sandhu, wife of the martyr’s nephew, Abhay Sandhu, the chief minister said, “All our efforts would be made to get martyr status for the legendary hero.”
He said that it is unfortunate that even after more than 70 years of Independence, this status has not been bestowed on him.
He said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is committed to cherish the aspirations of Bhagat Singh and carve out a harmonious and egalitarian society. He said the young hero of the freedom struggle had sacrificed his life for emancipating the country from the clutches of foreign imperialism.
The CM bemoaned that those who had been at the helm of affairs in the country and state had done nothing tangible for realising the dream of the martyr.
“The net result of all this was that our youth was forced to search for new avenues of employment in the same countries the natives of which were ousted by Bhagat Singh and other freedom fighters after a long freedom struggle,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“The net result of all this was that our youth was forced to search for new avenues of employment in the same countries the natives of which were ousted by Bhagat Singh and other freedom fighters after a long freedom struggle,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Mann said this unfortunate trend will be reversed with the support of Punjabis.
Meanwhile, the chief minister also visited the museum at Khatkar Kalan. He wrote in the visitor book,” The sacred land of Khatkar Kalan had always been very near to my heart. The life and personal things showcased in the museum have made me emotional. It is our moral duty to realise the dreams of Shaheed-e-Aazam”.
He also felicitated the family members of the martyr. Earlier, the chief minister paid tributes to S Kishan Singh, the father of the martyr. He also paid floral tributes to Bhagat Singh.
Cabinet ministers, MLA pay tributes
Food and civil supplies minister, Lal Chand Kataruchak and transport minister Laljit Singh Bhullar and Amritsar North MLA and former IPS officer Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh on Wednesday paid floral tributes to martyrs Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev at Khatkar Kalan on their Martyrdom Day.
Acceding to the demand put forth by the village panchayat, Bhullar said orders would be issued regarding halting of state government buses at the Khatkar Kalan bus stop.
Bajwa, Vikramjit pay homage
Senior Congress leader and Qadian MLA Partap Singh Bajwa and Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Singh paid floral tributes to Bhagat Singh at Khatkar Kalan on Wednesday.
Exhorting the people to fulfil the dreams of the martyrs, Bajwa said everyone should come together to realise their vision in letter and spirit. Vikramjit Singh reiterated his demand of sending a family member of Bhagat Singh to the Rajya Sabha.