- By Srishti Pandey
- Sat, 29 Mar 2025 12:04 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
British Conservative Party MP Bob Blackman has urged the UK government to issue a formal apology for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in India. Addressing the UK Parliament, he described the tragic event as a "stain on the British Empire" and called for accountability ahead of its anniversary.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Blackman recounted the events of April 13, 1919, when British troops, under General Reginald Dyer’s command, opened fire on a peaceful gathering at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab. The civilians had assembled to celebrate Baisakhi and protest against the Rowlatt Act, an oppressive colonial law. Dyer ordered his soldiers to fire until they ran out of ammunition, trapping people inside by blocking the only exit.
Today, I raised the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.
— Bob Blackman (@BobBlackman) March 27, 2025
I asked the Govt to formally give an apology to the people of India ahead of the atrocities anniversary. pic.twitter.com/UMhHY38ISH
Blackman stated, “At the end of that massacre, 1,500 people were dead and 1,200 injured. Eventually, General Dyer was disgraced for this stain on the British Empire.” He urged the UK government to acknowledge the wrongdoing and formally apologize to the people of India.
Despite repeated calls for an apology, the UK government has only expressed regret. In 2019, former Prime Minister Theresa May referred to the massacre as a “shameful scar on British Indian history” but stopped short of offering a formal apology.
