Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday said the central government didn’t want to deem Bhagat Singh a ‘Shaheed’ (martyr) and rather called him a “samajik karyakarta” (social activist).The statement was made by the CM at a state-level event held at Dana Mandi, Banga, a short distance from Bhagat Singh’s ancestral village, Khatkar Kalan, to commemorate the martyrdom day of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev.The CM also said the centre didn’t want to name Mohali airport after Bhagat Singh, and it was possible only due to the state government’s efforts. The state-level event saw the CM lay foundation stones of an open-air and an indoor stadium at Banga and Khatkar Kalan, respectively.Issuing forth a long speech recounting the sacrifices of martyrs, the CM’s address, even a year before elections, was marked with repeated exhortations to the public to bear in mind that their voter cards were possible due to martyrs’ sacrifices and hence to vote wisely. While the CM’s speech happened around the time of the arrest of former minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, the CM, however, did not speak about the issue at Nawanshahr.The CM said, “It pains me when ordinary people find faults with Bhagat Singh. Saying, he wasn’t like this, or that. Now will Bhagat Singh need certificates too? Will he need an NOC? What have you done for the country? People with vested political interests indulge in speculations or appropriations regarding Bhagat Singh. The communities that can’t preserve the legacies of martyrs die. We have a line of martyrs in various events – from Kargil, to Ghadrites, Babbar Akalis, and Kuka Movement martyrs. Even at Black Waters (referring to Cellular Jail), 95 per cent of the names are of Punjabis.”