Mayor Street calls for apology over Amritsar massacre

The massacre, also known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, took place on April 13, 1919 when British troops fired into a large crowd, killing hundreds.

With MPs set to discuss it in a Westminster Hall debate today, the Tory Mayor of the West Midlands has now demanded that the Government makes a formal apology "as a mark of respect".

Mr Street visited the site of the incident in October last year following a trade visit with the Midlands Engine to Maharashtra.

He said: “This week, 100 years ago, a terrible incident took place in Amritsar.

“Many people lost their lives. Families and communities were shattered by the 1,650 bullets fired by British troops on innocent civilians.

“When I went to Amritsar in October it was even clearer to me that this incident is a stain on our history, but it was also clear that it should not be forgotten.

“Let us remember this day and the people – 379 Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus who lost their lives. Sir Winston Churchill rightly called it "a monstrous event" and David Cameron described it as a "deeply shameful event in British history".

“It is now time for a formal apology by the British Government as a mark of respect, so that our progressive relationship with India is no longer dampened by this aspect of our past.

“I know that for many people in the West Midlands of Punjabi heritage a formal apology would be a sign of good faith and would enable us to build even stronger relationships between our two countries.”

Ministers are expected to issue a statement of "deep regret" for the massacre, which killed 379 Indian civilians.