Opposition fired up at move to merge Amar Jawan Jyoti with War Memorial flame, govt clarifies

The central government's move to merge the Eternal Flame at Amar Jawan Jyoti with the torch at the National War Memorial has fired up the opposition.

The Centre's move ahead of the Republic Day has come in for a sharp criticism from its political rivals, a section of retired veterans and several civil society members.

Leading the charge against the move to put out the flame that has burnt non-stop for 50 years, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said "some people cannot understand patriotism and sacrifice".

Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said she is "sad and anguished" and asked why both flames cannot remain.

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Amid criticism, the government has clarified that the Amar Jawan Jyoti flame is not being extinguished, but is being merged with the one at the War Memorial nearby. The government also said that "a lot of misinformation" is being circulated on the issue.

The Amar Jawan Jyoti was constructed as a memorial for Indian soldiers who were killed in action in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, which India won, leading to the creation of Bangladesh. It was inaugurated by the then prime minister, Indira Gandhi, on January 26, 1972.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on February 25, 2019, inaugurated the National War Memorial, where names of 25,942 soldiers have been inscribed in golden letters on granite tablets.