Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA and the Leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha Harpal Singh Cheema on Sunday wrote to the Assembly Speaker Rana KP Singh to bring a special resolution in the Assembly Session asking the British Government to apologise for Jallianwala Bagh massacre in its centenary year.
“As per the feelings of the entire Punjabis and patriots from across the globe, AAP has demanded from the UK Government on the centenary of Jallianwala Bagh to apologise for the acts of its own Government,” said Cheema in his letter addressed to the Speaker Rana KP Singh.
Cheema said that the centenary year of Jallianwala Bagh will commence from April 13, 2019. “In view of the unprecedented contribution of Punjabis against the British rule, the centennial year holds special significance for the whole country, including Punjabis. Therefore, the Punjab Government should celebrate this centennial year dedicated to martyrs with special preparations,” he said.
Referring to his letter to the Speaker, Cheema said that even 100 years after Jallianwala Bagh incident, the British Government, that boasts of being the mother of democracy across world, has not apologised for the massacre, while Canada's Parliament has apologised for their action and injustice to the Komagata Maru.
Cheema said that due to the efforts of Canada-based professor Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation, led by Sahib Singh Thind and others, the Parliament of Canada had apologised for the Komagata Maru incident and on the demand of the same organisation including the opposition party in Punjab Vidhan Sabha, a letter has been written to the Speaker demanding apology of British Government.
“The resolution passed in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha will be sent to the UK Government through the Government of India,” he said.