New Delhi: The memories of the five Delhi Police personnel, who sacrificed their lives while preventing heavily-armed Pakistani terrorists from storming Parliament on December 13 2001, came alive at a solemn programme organised to mark the anniversary of the incident.

Police personnel reversed their guns and the band played the last post as Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, Dehi Lt Governor Vijai Kapoor, police commissioner R S Gupta and other dignitaries laid wreaths at the Martyrs Memorial.

Advani also inaugurated a martyrs' gallery dedicated to those police personnel.

The opening of this gallery was the best possible way to remember the police personnel who sacrificed their lives protecting the Parliament, the Deputy Prime Minister said.

The gallery, a first to be launched by the Indian Police, remembers the sacrifices of the five police personnel who were among the eight security personnel, who laid down their lives to protecting the Indian democracy and others who courted death fighting criminals, he said.

Police personnel, including Delhi commissioner R S Gupta, donated blood at a blood donation camp organised on the occasion.

PTI