Amarinder inaugurates martyrs’ museum at Bhagat Singh’s village
Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday dedicated to the nation a martyrs’ museum and memorial at Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s ancestral village Khatkar Kalan in Nawanshahr district.
Meanwhile, Union minister of state for tourism and culture Mahesh Sharma, who was scheduled to be present on the occasion, failed to turn up at the event, which marked the martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.
The memorial-cum-museum is a centrally-funded ₹26-crore project. Its foundation stone was laid by former Union home minister P Chidambaram nine years ago.
Prior to the inauguration of the museum, Amarinder and local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu paid floral tributes to Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, and declared the day as youth empowerment day.
LAUNCHES ANTI-DRUG DRIVE
The CM also launched the Drug Abuse Prevention Officer (DAPO) scheme in which volunteers will engage with government employees and the people of Punjab in the ongoing fight against drugs. Amarinder became the first person to register himself as a DAPO.
Later, Amarinder took and administered the DAPO oath to his cabinet ministers and other volunteers. He thanked them for joining his government’s efforts to rid the state of the problem of drugs.
He said more than 4.25 lakh
UNION TOURISM MINISTER MAHESH SHARMA FAILED TO TURN UP ON THE OCCASION, TRIGGERING CONTROVERSY
DAPO volunteers have got registered in the state.
When state Youth Congress president Amarpreet Lally raised the issue of naming Chandigarh airport after Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Amarinder said the state government has already taken up the issue with the Centre.
SUKHDEV’S NEPHEW BOYCOTTS EVENT
Meanwhile, Ashok Thapar, nephew of martyr Sukhdev, boycotted the state government’s event, alleging relatives of martyrs were not being treated properly.
“The way we are being treated is pathetic. Our seating arrangement should have made on the main stage instead of a separate one in the corner,” he said.