UK MP seeks official apology for Jallianwala Bagh massacre; calls it 'stain on British Empire'

UK lawmaker Bob Blackman has called on the UK government to "formally" apologise for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Thursday, Blackman described the horrific events of April 13, 1919, when British forces, under General Reginald Dyer, opened fire on unarmed civilians gathered in Amritsar.

"On April 13, 1919, families gathered, very peacefully, in the Jallianwala Bagh to enjoy the day out with their families. General Dyer, on behalf of the British army, marched his troops in and ordered his troops to fire on those innocent people until they ran out of ammunition," he said, adding that the massacre killed 1,500 people and injured over 1,200.




Blackman condemned the incident as a "stain on the British Empire" and called for a formal apology from the UK government, asking for a statement acknowledging the wrongdoings and offering an apology to the people of India.

The massacre occurred during British colonial rule when troops opened fire on civilians protesting the repressive Rowlatt Act, which allowed for the arrest of Indians without trial. Estimates suggest over 500 people lost their lives that day.

In 2019, then-UK Prime Minister Theresa May expressed "deep regret" over the massacre, calling it a "shameful scar" in British Indian history, but stopped short of issuing an official apology.