TMC says merging of Amar Jawan Jyoti 'politically motivated'; praises Bose's 3D hologram

With the iconic Amar Jawan Jyoti now being merged with the eternal flame at the National War Memorial on Friday, the opposition cornered the Union government for ‘erasing history’ on account of the former location's now no longer bearing a flame. Adding to the Opposition's tirade, Trinamool Congress senior leader & MP Saugata Roy opined his displeasure against the moving of the flame from the Amar Jawan Jyoti and called it a politically motivated move.

'Dousing of Amar Jawan Jyoti politically motivated': TMC's Saugata Roy

Stating his opposition to the Centre’s move, Roy said the historical flame was lit by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who was a Congress leader, and now PM Narendra Modi has extinguished it & merged it with the National War Memorial which was built by him in 2019. As per Saugata Roy, the move is politically motivated, therefore he condemned it.

"I'm totally against the extinguishing of Amar Jawan Jyoti, it was started by (former PM) Indira Gandhi. PM Modi is closing & merging it with the National War Memorial, which was started by him in 2019. This is politically motivated & hence we condemn this," he said to ANI.

Meanwhile, the Centre had called it a historic move and justified it by stating that the name of each and every martyr who has lost his life in any war or conflict since 1971 has been engraved on the National War Memorial.

Besides, TMC’s Saugata Roy also commented on the announcement of the installation of a tall statue of freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at the India Gate. He praised the Modi government for the move and lauded them on the decision of the installation of the 3-D hologram statue until the completion of the granite statue. Every Indian will be proud of the statue, as per TMC MP.

'Every Indian will be proud of Netaji's statue' : TMC praises PM Modi govt

“It's very good to have a Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's statue in a 3-D hologram; every patriotic Indian would welcome this step, but on the other hand, the Centre is cancelling WB's tableau,” Roy said.

PM Modi will be inaugurating the hologram statue of Bose on Jan 23, ahead of the Republic Day celebrations. As per the Union Government, the move to install his statue has been taken to celebrate his 125th birth anniversary on Jan 23. 
The development is being seen as a move to reclaim the history as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s statue will be installed at the spot where Britishers had once placed the statue of King George V, which was removed in 1968.

Image: ANI