Rahul Gandhi slams India Gate decision to extinguish Amar Jawan Jyoti flame after 50 years

New Delhi - January 21 ANI Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has slammed the Central Government over its decision to extinguish the Amar Jawan Jyoti at the India Gate after 50 years and merge it with the flame at the National War Memorial.

The Congress MP said on Twitter that it was a matter of great sadness that the immortal flame that used to burn for our brave soldiers will be extinguished today. Some people don't understand sacrifice and patriotism. We will again be able to light the Amar Jawan Jyoti for our soldiers. The Amar Jawan Jyoti flame at the India Gate would be extinguished and merged with the flame at the National War Memorial today.

Amar Jawan Jyoti flame at the India Gate will be extinguished and merged with the flame at the National War Memorial on Friday in a ceremony, said an Indian Army official to ANI.

The ceremony would be presided over by Air Marshal Balabadhra Radha Krishna, who would merge the two flames, officials said.

The memorial to the India Gate was built by the British government in memory of British Indian ArmyIndian Army soldiers who lost their lives between 1914 and 1921.

Amar Jawan Jyoti was included in the memorial structure in the 1970s after the massive victory of India over Pakistan in which 93,000 troops of the enemy country surrendered.

After a long wait and multiple considerations, the National War Memorial was built in the India Gate complex by the Narendra Modi government and inaugurated in 2019.

After the inauguration of the building in War memorial, all military ceremonial events were moved to it from the India Gate memorial.

The National War Memorial has names of all Indian defence personnel who lost their lives in different operations from the 1947 -- 48 war with Pakistan to the Galwan valley clash with Chinese troops.