Will strive hard to get martyr status for Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru: Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann

KHATKAR KALAN: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said the Punjab government will make strenuous efforts for getting martyr status for freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.
Even as Mann made the statement in an interaction with the descendants of Bhagat Singh's family, the Union ministry of home affairs had made in clear in the Rajya Sabha in December 2021 that there was no such official nomenclature as 'martyrs'.In a written reply, minister of state for home Nityanand Rai had said, "There is no such official nomenclature."
On March 14, when asked why freedom fighters had not been given the martyr status, the MHA had informed the Lok Sabha that the stature of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru was "far above any award or title or status".
However, at Khatkar Kalan, Mann said he would make all efforts to get the status of martyr for the three heroes. Mann met Teji Sandhu, wife of Bhagat Singh's nephew Abhay Sandhu; their daughter Anush Priya and others. "It is unfortunate that even after more than 70 years of Independence, this status has not been bestowed to him," Mann said.
The CM also visited the museum at Khatkar Kalan. Mann wrote in the visitor book: The sacred land of Khatkar Kalan had always been very near to my heart. The life and personal things showcased in the museum have made me emotional. It is our moral duty to realise the dreams of Shaheed-e-Azam."
The CM also felicitated the descendants of Bhagat Singh's family.