MPs demand national holiday to mark Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 22

A joint delegation of AAP and SAD MPs on Thursday met Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and urged to declare Martyrs’ Day as a national holiday in the memory of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.

The delegation included Prem Singh Chandumajra, SS Dhindsa, Naresh Gujral, Ranjit Singh Brahampura, Harinder Singh Khalsa and former MP Tarlochan Singh.

They also urged Mahajan to earmark the seats in the visitor’s gallery of the then Central Legislative Assembly (the present Parliament House) on which Bhagat Singh and his associate BK Dutt sat before hurling two non-lethal bombs.

They did so to protest the passing of anti-people Public Safety and Trade Dispute Bill while reserving Press Sedition Bill for the next Session.

Subsequently, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were hanged to death on March 23, 1931, which is commemorated as Martyrs’ Day.

In a related development, CPI(M) Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha Mohammad Salim told mediapersons that his party supports demand for reserving the two seats in the visitors’ gallery as a tribute to the two heroes.

‘Earmark seats’ 

The delegation urged Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to earmark those seats in the visitor’s gallery of the then Central Legislative Assembly (the present Parliament House) on which Bhagat Singh and his associate BK Dutt sat before hurling non-lethal bombs.