Dehradun, Sep 1 (PTI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday paid tributes to statehood martyrs killed in the Khatima firing incident during the peak of the movement for a separate state 28 years ago.

He said the state government will build a prosperous and progressive state in line with the dreams of the agitators.

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After paying homage to the statehood agitators at the martyr's memorial in Khatima, the Chief Minister also honoured their families.

Dhami said the agitators sacrificed their lives for the creation of the state, without thinking about their own comforts.

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He said that programmes related to these martyrs will be celebrated every year so that the coming generations do not forget their struggle.

Union Minister of State for Defence and Tourism Ajay Bhatt, who was present at the programme, also paid tribute to the martyrs.

Bhatt said that in order to realise the dreams of the agitators, people will have to unite and make collective efforts for the all-round development of the state.

On September 1, 1994, eight people were killed when the police allegedly opened fire on the agitators protesting for a separate state.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)