The tunnel-like structure built by the British connecting the Delhi legislative assembly with the Red Fort will now be renovated and opened for tourists, said Delhi Legislative Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel.
Speaking to ANI, Goel said the tunnel was used by the Britishers to avoid reprisal while moving freedom fighters.
"When I became an MLA in 1993, there was hearsay about a tunnel present here that goes till Red Fort and I tried to search for its history. But there was no clarity over it," he stated.
"Now we have got to the mouth of the tunnel but we are not digging it further as all the paths of the tunnel have been destroyed due to metro projects and sewer installations," he added.
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Goel said the Delhi Legislative Assembly, which was used as Central Legislative Assembly after shifting of capital from Kolkata to Delhi in 1912, was turned into a court in 1926 and Britishers used this tunnel to bring freedom fighters to the court.
"We all knew about the presence of a gallows room here but never opened it. Now it was the 75th year of independence and I decided to inspect that room. We intend to change that room into a shrine of freedom fighters as a tribute to them," he said.
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The assembly speaker added that in view of the history of the Delhi Legislative Assembly associated with the independence of the country, he intends to open the gallows room for the tourists by the next independence day and the work for the same has already started.
"This place has a rich history in the context of the freedom struggle. We intend to renovate it in a way that tourists and visitors can get a reflection of our history," he said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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