Rahul Gandhi lays foundation stone of memorial that will house 'Chhattisgarh Amar Jawan Jyoti'

New Delhi, Feb 03: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday laid the foundation stone of a memorial here that will house an eternal flame on the lines of the 'Amar Jawan Jyoti' as a tribute to soldiers and security personnel who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Gandhi laid the foundation stone of the memorial that will house the 'Chhattisgarh Amar Jawan Jyoti' at a function here, days after the 'Amar Jawan Jyoti' at India Gate in Delhi was merged with the National War Memorial (NWM), drawing criticism from Opposition leaders, including Gandhi and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

The Chhattisgarh chief minister had said that the "removal" of the Amar Jawan Jyoti from India Gate had pained him. The eternal flame will be lit on the premises of the 'Chaithi Vahini Chhattisgarh Armed Forces' at Mana here as a mark of tribute to soldiers who have sacrificed their lives for the country, state government officials said.

The 'Chhattisgarh Amar Jawan Jyoti' complex will have a brown marble wall with names of soldiers inscribed on it, a memorial tower and also a VVIP platform, they said. The crescent-shaped wall will be about 25-feet high with a length of about 100 feet and a thickness of three feet.

In front of the crescent-shaped wall, a memorial tower will be built using sandstone, brown-white marble and granite with a memento on top. A rifle and helmet in the form of insignia will be placed at the base in front of the memorial tower.

"Chhattisgarh Amar Jawan Jyoti will be lit in front of this symbol which will remain ignited 24 hours through fuel supply through underground pipelines," an official said, adding that the two-storey building will be constructed just in front of the memorial tower.

During his day-long visit to Chhattisgarh, Gandhi also launched two state government schemes -- the 'Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Bhumiheen Krishi Mazdoor Nyay Yojana' and the 'Rajiv Yuva Mitan Club' at a programme at the Science College, Raipur.