Today marks the 95th anniversary of the execution of Indian revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, and Sukhdev Thapar. Officially observed as Martyrs’ Day or Shaheed Diwas, the March 23 commemoration honors their 1931 execution by the British colonial government at the Lahore Central Jail.
National observances are taking place across India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a statement on the social media platform X, saying, “Today, we bow in reverence to the brave sons of Bharat Mata… Undeterred by the might of colonial rule, they chose the path of sacrifice with conviction, placing the nation above their own lives.”
Shaheed Diwas 2026: PM Narendra Modi Pays Homage to Freedom Fighters Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru on Martyr's Dayhttps://t.co/ngdvyiLCmp#ShaheedDiwas #ShaheedDiwas2026 #PMNarendraModi #NarendraModi #BhagatSingh #Sukhdev #Rajguru @narendramodi
— LatestLY (@latestly) March 23, 2026
Political figures including Rahul Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also issued tributes. In New Delhi, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta marked the occasion by unveiling a statue of Bhagat Singh. Gupta also inaugurated a restored historic courtroom at the RCS office on Parliament Street, the location where the revolutionaries once faced trial.
The 1931 executions stemmed from the Lahore Conspiracy Case and the 1928 assassination of British police officer John Saunders. The revolutionaries targeted Saunders in retaliation for the death of nationalist leader Lala Lajpat Rai following a police lathi charge. At the time of their deaths, Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev were aged 23, 22, and 23, respectively.
To mark the 2026 observance, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports launched the “Shaheed Diwas Padyatra.” Operating under the theme “MY Bharat, My Responsibility,” the march is actively taking place across all 763 districts of India to promote civic duty in conjunction with the government.