BJP lashes out at UPA Govt for ''disrespecting'' Kuka martyrs

Chandigarh, Apr 30 (UNI) Senior BJP leader and Punjab Medical Education Minister Tikshan Sud today lashed out at the UPA government for denying the famous Sikh Kuka movement status of freedom movement of India.

''The UPA Government had shown utter contempt to freedom fighters who laid down their lives for the freedom of our country, Mr Sud said in a statement issued here and demanded ''a public apology from UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for showing disrespect to those 70 Kuka Martyrs who had made ultimate sacrifice for the freedom of our motherland''.

Accusing the UPA government of ''mastering the art of distorting history and denigrating our freedom fighters for their petty political gains,'' Mr Sud asserted that ''BJP would not allow this policy of deliberate cultural pollution of history of our freedom struggle.'' ''Any attempt by any government to show contempt to freedom fighters of the state would not be tolerated,'' the Minister said.

The BJP leader said the Punjab government gives due reverence to Kuka Martyrs and has already drawn out a comprehensive programme to observe 150th years of Kuka movement for which a high-level committee under the chairmanship of state Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has been constituted.

He said the Kuka Memorials were being set up in the villages of all 70 martyrs and a grand martyr complex in the area of 300 acres was coming up at Bhaini Sahib, the birth place of Baba Ram Singh who lead the Kuka movement.

UNI XC PS JN KK HT1750