New viewers’ gallery at Hussainiwala

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, October 17

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today dedicated to the nation the newly built viewers’ gallery at the India-Pakistan Joint Check Post (JCP), Hussainiwala. He was accompanied by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.

The foundation stone of the gallery, constructed at a cost of Rs16.39 crore, was laid by then Home Minister P Chidambaram on October 22, 2010. It was ready by the end of 2015, but its inauguration was delayed due to Rajnath’s busy schedule.

The gallery can accommodate over 5,000 people. Thousands of people visit the place daily to witness the Retreat Ceremony. The previous gallery, which had a capacity of around 700, had been demolished to make way for the new one.

Earlier, after arriving at the Army Golf Club helipad, Rajnath and Capt Amarinder drove to the National Martyrs’ Memorial, Hussainiwala, where they paid floral tributes at the “samadhi” of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.

Rajnath also addressed a Prahari Sammelan, a congregation of BSF jawans. Lauding their valour and spirit of sacrifice, Rajnath asked them defeat the nefarious designs of anti-national elements. He described the BSFas the country’s “formidable first wall of defence”.

During his visit to the JCP, Rajnath had an interaction with Pakistan Punjab’s Industry Minister Sheikh Allaudin.

Commenting on bilateral ties, Rajnath said India had taken several initiatives to ensure that both neighbouring countries co-existed in an atmosphere of peace and mutual trust. “We expect Pakistan to reciprocate our gestures of friendship and goodwill,” he added.

Rajnath and Capt Amarinder also visited the BSF Museum, where Bhagat Singh’s pistol has been kept.