Theresa May regrets Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar
London, Apr 10 (IBNS): British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday said the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar which happened in the year 1919 was a "shameful scar" on British Indian history, media reports said.
She expressed her regret at the incident while marking the 100th anniversary of the massacre in the House of Commons.
"The tragedy of Jallianwala Bagh of 1919 is a shameful scar on British Indian history. As Her Majesty the Queen (Elizabeth II) said before visiting Jallianwala Bagh in 1997, it is a distressing example of our past history with India," she said in her statement.
"We deeply regret what happened and the suffering caused. I am pleased that today the UK-India relationship is one of collaboration, partnership, prosperity and security. Indian diaspora make an enormous contribution to British society and I am sure the whole House wishes to see the UK''s relationship with India continue to flourish," she said.
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place in Amritsar on Baisakhi in April 1919.
Under the direction of Colonel Reginald Dyer, the British Indian Army troops resorted to indiscriminate firing at a crowd of people holding a pro-independence demonstration.
Though the exact number of deaths remain debatable, many estimates put the figure at over a thousand.
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