Punjab
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday laid the foundation stone of the
Jallianwala Bagh Centenary Memorial park at Amritsar to honour the memory of
the unsung heroes of the massacre, reported PTI.

In a virtual event, Singh also paid an emotional tribute to the
martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh tragedy and their families by reciting a poem.

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At least 29 family members of 492 Jallianwala Bagh martyrs identified so far by the district administration were also honoured by the Tourism and Cultural Affairs minister of Punjab, Charanjit Singh Channi on the occasion.

The
Jallianwala Bagh Centenary Memorial Park, which will cover around 4490 square
metres of Amrit Anand Park in Ranjit Avenue, Amritsar will become a symbol of sacrifice
for the posterity, Amarinder Singh said in the event.

The
memorial park will be built at a cost of Rs 3.52 crore and would get its soil
by the kin of martyrs or panchayats/sarpanchs/councillors.

Condemning
those who are opposing the state government’s move of constructing the memorial
site, Singh said that this memorial would serve as a reminiscence of Punjab’s
struggle for India’s independence and every Punjabi has the right to remember
the unparalleled tragedy that later paved the way for the freedom struggle.

Amarinder
Singh’s criticism comes at the backdrop of BJP leader Shwait Malik’s ‘political
move’ remark suggesting that the erection of a separate Jallianwala Bagh memorial
is a politically motivated agenda of the state Congress.

Malik
also accused Amarinder led Congress government in Punjab of being unable to
make the original historical site an ideal place.

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Meanwhile, Singh also announced a Jallianwala Bagh Chair at the Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) and a literary festival dedicated to the memory of those who lost their lives in one of the world’s biggest humanitarian tragedy.

Noting
that the exact number of casualties in the Jallianwala bagh massacre was still
unknown, Singh asked Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister to ensure that the
research into the data is completed so that the exact number can be ascertained
and small memorials also can be built in their villages.