Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday batted for the Bharat Ratna award for freedom fighters Udham Singh, Bhagat Singh and Kartar Singh Sarabha.

“Bestowing the Bharat Ratna award to these iconic martyrs will enhance the prestige of the award. These great martyrs really deserve this award because they made supreme sacrifices for emancipating the country from foreign clutches,” The Chief Minister said after paying floral tributes to Shaheed Udham Singh at his memorial on his martyrdom day, stated a government release. However, Bhagwant Mann bemoaned that the “pseudo-nationalist” Union government is least bothered about honouring such sons of the soil.

Rather, the Chief Minister alleged that the incumbent Union government is giving a severe blow to the legacy of these martyrs by “muzzling the democracy” in the country.
He said that these nationalists had laid down their lives for the sake of freedom and democracy in the country but unfortunately, the Union government is jeopardizing the democratic system through ordinances. Bhagwant Mann said that this is totally in contrast to the country envisioned by the great patriots during the struggle for freedom.
The Chief Minister said that the supreme sacrifice made by legendary martyr Shaheed Udham Singh will always inspire the youth for selfless service to the nation adding that the countrymen are enjoying fruits of freedom due to the enormous sacrifices made by such legendary heroes.

He said that Shaheed Udham Singh was a true son of soil, who had in a heroic act exhibited exemplary courage by killing Michael O’ Dwyer, the prime perpetrator of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Bhagwant Mann said that the unprecedented sacrifice made by this iconic martyr at the altar of national freedom struggle helped the country to overthrow the yoke of British Imperialism.

The Chief Minister further said that Shaheed Udham Singh waited for 21 years to avenge the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh and thus laid the foundation of the freedom of the nation. Bhagwant Mann said that he bows his head in reverence to such great martyrs and patriots of India’s freedom struggle, who displayed heroism and valour thereby making supreme sacrifices to for attaining freedom for the country.

He said that the rich legacy of unprecedented sacrifices made by martyrs would act as a lighthouse to guide the destiny of our future generations.

The Chief Minister said that his government will make strenuous efforts to bring back the personal belongings of Shaheed Udham Singh from London. He said that the state government will raise these issues at all the relevant platforms so as to bring back these belongings at the earliest.

Bhagwant Mann said that even the things associated with Shaheed Bhagat Singh lying in Pakistan will also be brought back.