CHANDIGARH: Punjab minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer on Friday said Sangrur MP Simranjit Singh Mann should tender an unconditional apology for calling legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh a "terrorist".
The minister for higher education and languages announced that the state government will bestow martyr status on Bhagat Singh for the supreme sacrifice he made for the sake of country's freedom.
During his interaction with reporters in Karnal on Thursday, Simranjit Singh Mann was asked why he has in the past referred to Bhagat Singh as a "terrorist" when he was a legendary martyr.
"Try to understand, Sardar Bhagat Singh had killed a young English officer, he had killed an Amritdhari Sikh constable, Channan Singh. He had hurled a bomb into the National Assembly at that time. Now, you tell me whether Bhagat Singh was a terrorist or not," Mann had said in Karnal.
"A newly elected MP has disrespected the sacrifices of legendary martyr Shaheed Bhagat Singh, who laid down his life for the independence of the country," said Hayer here.
Hayer said not only Punjab but the whole nation is proud of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev for sacrificing their lives at a very young age for the country.
"Indians are able to breathe in a free nation because these men sacrificed their present for our future. But Simranjit Mann regrettably does not respect a national hero," said Hayer.
He said Bhagat Singh is their idol "and I want to make it clear with full responsibility that the Punjab government will bestow martyr status to Bhagat Singh".
The Cabinet minister said the Aam Aadmi Party is a democratic party and if required it would initiate legal action against Simranjit Mann "for disrespecting martyr Bhagat Singh and hurting the sentiments of countless Punjabis who hold him in high regard".
Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal also slammed Simranjit Singh Mann.
"Every Sikh, every Punjabi & every Indian is proud of Shaheed-e-Azam S Bhagat Singh. Every Sikh treats him as a symbol of our quom's unprecedented contribution to the freedom struggle. @SimranjitSADA is trying to undermine this pride & lower the image of Sikhs all over the world,"Badal said in a tweet.