Jallianwala Bagh: After historians’ censure, allegations of revamp firm owner’s proximity to BJP brass

“It is absolutely gaudy…Why should there be murals on the wall? Changes the whole idea of the place from where Dyer entered to kill. Adding glamour to the little corridor changes the whole visual history. History itself is being re-written and renovated. This is the corporatisation of monuments,” historian S. Irfan Habib was quoted as saying in a media report.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had termed the revamp an “insult to martyrs”, saying only a person who does not know the meaning of martyrdom can inflict such an insult. “I am the son of a martyr – I will not tolerate the insult of martyrs at any cost,” he said in a tweet. “We are against this indecent cruelty.” In another tweet, Rahul Gandhi said those who didn’t struggle for freedom can’t understand those who did.

Incidentally, the same day when Modi inaugurated the project, Haryana Police had launched a vicious attack on farmers protesting against the three farm laws in Karnal, with the Shiv Sena terming it as the “second Jallianwala Bagh”.

Now, allegations have surfaced that the renovation process was carried out by an Ahmedabad-based firm whose owner is close to BJP and PM Modi.

“As expected, I did some digging. The hideous renovation of the Jallianwala Bagh has been done by an Ahmedabad based firm called Vama Communications. 20 crores were paid for this work. It is the same firm which was paid 26 crores for Gandhi museum in Rajkot,” Jas Oberoi, a researcher and freelance columnist tweeted.

“There were allegations of favouritism against them because the original budget for that museum was 16 crores. Congress leaders in Gujarat claim that the owner of Vama is close to BJP & PM Modi,” he added.