Friday, December 16 2005 14:37 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: After a gap of four years, the nation today (Dec 16, 2005) celebrated 'Vijay Diwas' marking India's victory in the 1971 Indo-Pak war with Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee saying that a permanent war memorial would be built in the national capital soon.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had seen this as an attempt to downplay Kargil success in 1999.

Mukherjee, along with the three service chiefs, paid floral tributes at the Amar Jawan Jyoti here and witnessed an impressive cultural programme and tri-service band display in honour of the brave soldiers who laid their lives in the Bangladesh Liberation war.

Talking to reporters, the Defence Minister said the Government decided to celebrate 'Vijay Diwas' as the nation wanted to remember the supreme sacrifices made by the armed forces. "The nation cannot forget its brave soldiers," he added.

Asked whether the present government wanted to revive Vijay Diwas celebrations because the BJP-led NDA dispensation observed Vijay Diwas to commemorate Kargil victory, he said nobody should try to make any 'politics' over the sacrifices of armed forces.

"We want to remember the supreme sacrifices made by our armed forces, not only in 1971 but also in 1962, 1965 and later in the Kargil war," he said.

"Kargil is equally glorious and significant and there is no difference," he said and termed as 'distorted' reports that the government was reviving the celebrations as the victory came during the Congress government's time in 1971.

He said the government was going to have a permanent war memorial in the national capital soon to remember the soldiers who laid their lives in various wars and fighting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country.