Chandigarh, Nov 3 Ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Punjab, BJP leader Tarun Chugh on Tuesday asked him to answer questions surrounding the suffering of families affected by the “1984 Sikh genocide”.
“Punjab is not a state that can be influenced merely through political speeches and electoral visits. The people of Punjab have not forgotten the dark chapter of 1984, when innocent Sikhs were targeted and thousands of families had their lives changed forever,” the Rajya Sabha MP said in a statement.
Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will participate in the ‘Insaaf Rally’ scheduled to be held in Punjab’s Sangrur on Wednesday.
Chugh said that the violence against Sikhs in 1984 was not merely a riot but one of the most painful chapters in India’s history.
“Families lost their loved ones, women lost their husbands and children, and countless children lost their parents. For these families, justice remains an unfinished struggle. Gandhi and the Congress leadership cannot continue to turn away from their questions.
“They must explain what the Congress party actually did to secure justice for the victims,” he said.
Gandhi and the Congress leadership choosing November 1 to organise a protest at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan was like rubbing salt into the wounds of families affected by the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
“A date associated with the horrific memories of thousands of innocent Sikhs being killed and families being destroyed should have demanded sensitivity and remembrance, not a political protest and show of strength,” he said.
Chugh also questioned the Punjab Congress leadership, saying that before welcoming Gandhi, party leaders Pargat Singh, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Partap Singh Bajwa and every other Congress leader in Punjab must clearly state their position on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
“They must clarify whether they stand with the victim families and whether they have the courage to demand accountability for the Congress party’s historical record, during which thousands of innocent Sikhs lost their lives and countless families were devastated. Punjab Congress leaders must move beyond political courtesies and rhetoric and demonstrate a clear commitment towards securing justice for the victims,” he said.
“Will he meet the families of the 1984 victims during his Punjab visit? Will he sit with them, listen to their suffering and respond to their long-pending questions?
“Will he acknowledge the historical responsibility of the Congress party and make a clear commitment towards securing justice for the victims? Punjab does not need political rhetoric; it deserves sensitivity, accountability and justice,” he said.
(PTI News)
