'Jallianwala Bagh Complex Was In Dire Need Of Conservation': Culture Ministry On Rahul Gandhi's Allegation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated four new galleries and opened the renovated memorial virtually, a year-and-a-half after it was closed for the revamp.

A view of the Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs memorial during its inauguration, in Amritsar. (Image: PTI)

New Delhi: A day after former Congress president Rahul Gandhi slammed Modi government for 'glamourising' the Jallianwala Bagh complex, the Culture Ministry on Wednesday said it has been 'restored' by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the agency that has restored World Heritage sites in the country, to conserve it for posterity.

The ministry further said that a 'poignant' soundtrack has been chosen as part of the sound and light show describing the event on the day of the massacre.

This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated four new galleries and opened the renovated memorial virtually, a year-and-a-half after it was closed for the revamp.

Several Opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi criticised the government and dubbed the revamp of the Jallianwala Bagh memorial an "insult to martyrs", saying that only a person who does not know the meaning of martyrdom can inflict such an insult.

Taking to Twitter, the former Congress chief tagged a media report on the outrage on social media over the alleged changes at the Jallianwala Bagh memorial complex with many claiming that it was "destroying history" in the name of a makeover.

"I am the son of a martyr I will not tolerate the insult of martyrs at any cost We are against this indecent cruelty," Rahul Gandhi said earlier this week.

Responding to the same, Ministry of Culture Secretary Raghvendra Singh argued the complex was in dire need of conservation.

"It has been restored by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) which is the agency that restored World Heritage sites in the country. Instead of letting a derelict structure to fall, we have restored it to conserve it for posterity," he told news agency PTI but refused to comment on the political storm brewing over the restoration.

The new look of the memorial has a transparent barrier above the well into which the people jumped when forces led by Reginald Dyer opened fire on them. Ministry also said that The narrow entrance has been adorned with sculptures. A daily sound and light show explaining the events has been started.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Captain Amarinder Singh appeared to praise the makeover, saying it looked very nice to him. 

"I only can tell you that I do not know what has been removed but what I saw on that night, I also spoke that night. To me it looked very nice, Singh said while speaking to reporters.

The chief minister was also informed that Rahul Gandhi had tweeted on the renovation of the Jalianwala Bagh, but he said he did not know about Gandhi's tweet.