Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Thursday attacked Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia, alleging that his forefathers hosted dinner for Colonel Reginald Dyer who was involved in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Hitting back, Majithia accused the chief minister of being a "slave" to the Central government and betraying Punjab.
Hundreds of people protesting peacefully against the Rowlatt Act, which granted the colonial administration repressive powers, were gunned down by British forces under the command of Colonel Reginald Dyer without any provocation on April 13, 1919, at Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab's Amritsar.
Dyre was then holding the temporary rank of Brigadier General
Chief Minister Mann, in a tweet in Punjabi, said, "Whose house did Dyer reach for a drink and dinner after killing over 1,000 people and injuring more than 3,100 people on April 13, 1919? The Majithia family provided dinner to the murderer. That family either refutes my statement or seeks forgiveness from the countrymen."
Shortly after Mann's tweet, Majithia hit back, saying it does not behove him of about betrayal "after holding a glass (of liquor), sitting with the Centre, taking action against innocent sons of Sikhs and giving VVIP status to his whole family."
"People know very well who is the slave of the Centre and the traitor of the state in the Independent country!" Majithia said on Facebook.
Published 13 April 2023, 17:19 IST