AAP demands probe by committee of MLAs, calls Capt puppet of Modi govt

Addressing a press conference here Wednesday, Kultar Singh Sandhwan, MLA and head of AAP’s kisan wing, said his party strongly condemns the Narendra Modi-led government for “erasing the legacy of the war of independence at Jallianwala Bagh in the name of renovation”.

CALLING CHIEF Minister Capt Amarinder Singh a “puppet” of the Narendra Modi government, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has demanded that an all-party committee of MLAs be formed on the Jallianwala Bagh controversy, which should complete an inquiry within a month and submit the report to Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

Addressing a press conference here Wednesday, Kultar Singh Sandhwan, MLA and head of AAP’s kisan wing, said his party strongly condemns the Narendra Modi-led government for “erasing the legacy of the war of independence at Jallianwala Bagh in the name of renovation”.

The party called the renovation “tampering of history”.

“The blood of freedom fighters was shed at Jallianwala Bagh and the soil here is a symbol of pride and independence. While this soil is reminiscent of the freedom fighters, it also tells of the betrayals of the British. That is why this soil has always been an eyesore for a handful of narrow-minded, divisive forces and foreign-minded people,” Sandhwan said.

Agreeing with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s tweet on the issue of Jallianwala Bagh, Sandhwan said historical places should not be tampered with, adding that the CM has “belittled” his own leader Rahul Gandhi by saying “I don’t know what has been removed. To me it looks very nice.”

Sandhwan further said that like the Badals, Amarinder was also a “puppet” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Although Congress had not spared any effort to tarnish the image of Punjab, here Captain Amarinder Singh should not show Modi devotion, he added. He demanded that the Punjab government conduct a high-level inquiry into the work and “Rs 20 crore expenditure of a private Gujarat company renovating Jallianwala Bagh”, and the responsibility of investigation should be given to members of the committee constituted by the Assembly.

He further said: “Jallianwala Bagh has been renovated by the Narendra Modi government which has been accused by residents of Amritsar and historians of tarnishing its historic appearance…It is not only negligence but also a conspiracy to erase history, especially Punjab history.” He added, “The BJP is moving towards changing the history of the country. So far, countless historical sites and heritages in the country have been changed. Under this, the historical appearance of Jallianwala Bagh has also been erased.”

Sandhwan further alleged that the Punjabi language was being disrespected by putting Hindi on billboards at various places in Jallianwala Bagh, which “would not be tolerated at any cost”. All languages are respected, but the Punjabi language should be given due respect in Punjab, he asserted.

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