Accord martyr status to Bhagat Singh, says nephew

Freedom fighter Bhagat Singh’s nephew Kiran Jeet Singh Sandhu has demanded that his uncle be accorded martyr status by the central government.

“Every Indian calls him Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Shaheede-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh, but even after 71 years of Independence, our government has not accorded him martyr status,” said Sandhu, son of Kultar Singh, the younger brother of Bhagat Singh. He was here to participate in a cultural programme, ‘Ek Shaam Desh le Shaheedon ke Naam’ at the Government Inter College to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on Tuesday.

A big celebration was organised at the venue, where Union textiles minister Smriti Irani unfurled a 131-ft-high Tricolour and dedicated it to the society. Later, a cultural programme themed on patriotic issues was also organized. Bhagat Singh’s nephew had also come here from Saharanpur to pay tribute to martyrs. “After independence, all governments in the country remained ignorant towards the honour of national martyrs and no list of martyrs has so far been issued by any government at the centre,” alleged Sandhu.

“We are expecting the Narendra Modi government to provide martyr status to Bhagat Singh,” he said. Sandhu also demanded that the Chandigarh airport be rechristened after Shaheed

Bhagat Singh. “In 2007, on the occasion of the 100th birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh, Haryana and Punjab assemblies had passed the proposal to rename Chandigarh airport after Bhagat Singh. But the central government has not yet approved that proposal,” he added.