The Union Ministry of Culture said on Friday that the Jallianwala Bagh memorial in Amritsar would remain closed to the public till June 15, as planned renovation works had been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The memorial has been closed since February 15 and was supposed to open on April 13, ending the year-long commemoration of the centenary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. On April 13, 1919, British forces had opened fire on unarmed Indians at Jallianwala Bagh, killing hundreds of people. The memorial at the site was being renovated as a part of the centenary commemoration.
“The renovation work at the memorial site was to be completed by March 2020 for opening for the public to pay their homage on the fateful date of April 13. The work was in full swing at the memorial site...However, due to the COVID-19 crisis, the said work has been affected. It has now been decided to continue closing the memorial for visitors till June 15,” the Ministry said.
