Congress has ‘twisted’ history, says Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Jallianwala anniversary
As India marked 106 years since the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, political tensions resurfaced over the country’s treatment of historical figures and events. The attack, in which British troops under General Dyer fired on an unarmed crowd in Amritsar on April 13, 1919, killing hundreds, remains one of the most contested moments in colonial history.
The anniversary prompted Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa to criticise the Congress party, accusing it of selective remembrance and what he described as a “shameful” approach to India’s past.
In a post on X, Sirsa said the Congress had “honoured invaders like Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan” by naming roads and cities after them, while “erasing” the legacy of figures such as C. Sankaran Nair, Banda Singh Bahadur, Lachit Borphukan, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Maharana Pratap. “Invaders get memorials. Our warriors get erased,” Sirsa wrote.
He said Congress had distorted India’s historical narrative by whitewashing the actions of tyrants and overlooking those who resisted colonial or foreign rule. Using the Jallianwala Bagh anniversary to highlight this issue, he called for national reflection and a return to what he described as the “true heroes” of the freedom movement.
Among those mentioned was C. Sankaran Nair, who resigned from the Viceroy’s Council in protest following the massacre in 1919. Nair was one of the few Indian leaders to openly condemn the British government at the time. He also criticised the Khilafat movement, which Sirsa linked to the 1921 Moplah violence in Kerala. Sirsa said the event was an underrepresented chapter in Indian history.
Sirsa also highlighted Nair’s role as a social reformer, noting his stance against polygamy, caste-based discrimination and child marriage. Despite these contributions, Sirsa said Nair’s name was largely absent from school textbooks and broader public discourse.
Meanwhile, actor Akshay Kumar’s upcoming film “Kesari 2” is expected to focus on Nair’s legacy. The film will follow the 2019 movie “Kesari” and aims to bring attention to lesser-known figures in India’s freedom struggle.
