The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has expressed sharp disapproval over the rejection of a proposal to name a square in Lahore after Bhagat Singh and the incident where he was labeled a terrorist.
AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang, in a press conference, said that the decision of the Punjab government of Pakistan is highly condemnable. We will not tolerate the insult to Bhagat Singh.
The Indian government should intervene in this matter and demand an explanation from Pakistan. He further stated that AAP will oppose any insult to Bhagat Singh anywhere in the world.
We follow the ideologies of Bhagat Singh and Dr. Ambedkar, and their thoughts are our fundamental principles. AAP Punjab Secretary and Markfed Chairman Amandeep Singh Mohi was also present at the press conference.
Kang said that Bhagat Singh is a hero of the freedom struggle. At just 23 years of age, his unparalleled sacrifice is why we call him Shaheed-e-Azam.
The AAP governments in Delhi and Punjab have made a historic decision to display portraits of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Baba Saheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in all government offices.
Today, their portraits are displayed in every government office in Delhi and Punjab. He added that Pakistan should remember that when Bhagat Singh was hanged, the country was not yet partitioned.
At that time, the issue was not whether Bhagat Singh belonged to India or Pakistan. The issue was only about gaining freedom from the British, who had ruled India for 200 years.
Kang explained that when Bhagat Singh threw a bomb in the assembly, his intention was not to harm anyone but to awaken the sleeping British government, which was oppressing and enslaving our people.
In his prison diary, he wrote, "The foreign powers that are ruling here must leave because we can manage our own country. The blueprint of how the country’s social, political, and economic structure should be is also found in his diary."
He remains an inspiration for millions of young people in the country. He rose above caste and religion, talking about the welfare of society and the nation. Pakistan should respect him. We strongly condemn the remarks made by the Punjab government of Pakistan.
Kang further stated that the most distressing aspect of this matter is that the Assistant Advocate General of Pakistan’s Punjab government, Asghar Leghari, made these remarks while representing Lahore Metropolitan Corporation in the High Court.
He appealed to the High Court to remove these comments from the records so that in the future, such derogatory statements about Shaheed Bhagat Singh cannot be used. Kang added that the Shaheed-e-Azam Welfare Society of Lahore has been fighting for this cause for many years.
Their demand is completely justified: the name of Shadman Chowk should be changed to Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh Chowk because Bhagat Singh studied in Lahore, was imprisoned in its jail, and the square should indeed be named after him. A statue of him should also be installed there.