Punjab BJP Organises Zakhm 84 De Event To Mark 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots

(MENAFN- AsiaNet News)

Punjab BJP Organises Commemorative Event for 1984 Victims

The Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday organised the 'Zakhm 84 De' event to remember the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, with state BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon accusing the Congress of carrying out a massacre and saying the programme was aimed at making the younger generation aware of what happened in 1984. "Congress carried out a massacre in 1984. To make the new generation aware of what happened then, we are organising this programme. I want to ask Rahul Gandhi - till today no person from the Congress family has apologised for what happened to the Sikhs in 1984," Dhillon said.

BJP Leaders Criticize Congress Over Rally Timing

BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad also questioned Rahul Gandhi over holding the INDIA bloc rally at Ramlila Ground in Delhi on November 1, saying the date reopens painful memories for the Sikh community. "Rahul Gandhi held a rally at Ramlila Ground on November 1st. I addressed the press in Delhi on behalf of the party. For the Sikh community, the wounds are reopened around November 1. Couldn't this have been scheduled for another time-perhaps 10 days later? Why specifically November 1? This became a major issue in the country. Rahul Gandhi responded by saying that the BJP is so rattled by our rally on that date that they are bringing up memories of '84. Do you see the arrogance? This is his sheer conceit. That is why it is essential to raise this question with Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi today-and we will certainly raise it," he said.

Calls for Accountability and Justice

BJP leader RP Singh also criticised the Congress over its decision to hold the November 1 rally, alleging that it was insensitive towards the victims and their families. He demanded action against Congress leaders Kamal Nath and Jagdish Tytler. "It was not a riot but a Congress-sponsored massacre. The victims too had appealed to Congress to change the date of the November 1 event (INDIA bloc rally). But Rahul Gandhi refused to change the date. If Rahul Gandhi had even a bit of humanity, he should have gone to the place where victim widows live and apologised to them. We had to organise this program because Congress leaders have started to forget what happened in 1984. Justice will begin by expelling Kamal Nath and Jagdish Tytler from Congress," RP Singh said.

BJP leader HS Phoolka said November 1 to 4 were days of sorrow for the country, recalling the killings during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He said the period should be observed as 'Black Days' and questioned the Congress for holding a rally on the same date. "These four days from November 1st to November 4th, when the government of the time killed its own citizens, dragging them out of their homes and murdering them. These four days are days of great sorrow and darkness for the country. I think this has probably happened only twice in the world, when its own government dragged its own citizens out of their homes and killed them. This wasn't just the murder of citizens, it was also the murder of the Constitution and the law...We have always observed 1-4 November as 'Black day'. They should have at least thought to observe these four days as a Black Day. They shouldn't have held their power show on November 1," Phoolka said.

After the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984, at least 3,000 people were killed in anti-Sikh riots when mobs led by the Congress leaders targeted innocent people across Delhi. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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