Chandigarh, Sep 11 (IANS): Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday demanded a formal apology from Britain for the unprovoked firing on unarmed civilians trapped inside the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar on April 13, 1919.

Appreciating the unequivocal apology offered by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, during his visit to Jallianwala Bagh on Tuesday, the SAD leader said that it was high time that the British government apologised for the ghastly act, which killed close to 1,000 persons, including women and children.

He said a formal apology was the need of the hour given that India was observing the centenary of the massacre which had left a permanent scar on the country's national psyche.

"Indians, particularly Punjabis, and the descendents of those who were killed and injured are still carrying the emotional weight of the terrible wrong done to their ancestors. The only way for them to find closure is an unequivocal apology from the British government which should come forth during the centenary year," Sukhbir Badal said in a statement.