On Monday, the Delhi High Court convicted senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Sajjan who was accused of killing five members of a family was found guilty, overturning his acquittal by a lower court. This judgement, better late than never, is proof of justice for many people who lost their loved ones in the riots. Soon after the judgement on the genocide that killed as many as 2,733 people in the national capital, both BJP and AAP claimed credit for the verdict.
While BJP congratulated PM Modi for the “delayed vindication of Justice”, AAP approved compensation to the victim family. However, the BJP calls AAP’s move a petty politics game. Between the slugfest of credits, The Logical Indian explains a little more on the case.
Anti-Sikh riots
On 31 October 1984, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her guards, who belonged to the Sikh community. The assassination of the PM led to violence that roughly lasted for three days and thousands of lives were lost. The violence did not limit itself in just the national capital, but it had also engulfed several other Indian cities, including Kanpur, Bokaro, Jabalpur and Rourkela. In Delhi alone, 2,733 Sikhs were killed at that time. This episode of communal violence in the newly independent India is considered one of the bloodiest and most brutal episodes, as reported by The Caravan.
#WATCH: HS Phoolka and Manjinder Singh Sirsa celebrate outside Delhi High Court. The Court today sentenced Congress leader Sajjan Kumar to life imprisonment in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. pic.twitter.com/tpPSgjvDjO
— ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2018
After almost 34 years of the incident, 73-year-old Sajjan Kumar was found guilty. The Delhi HC called the horrific incident a “crimes against humanity” that would continue to haunt the society for a long time, as reported by Scroll. Talking about the verdict, union minister of Finance Arun Jaitley said, “Sajjan Kumar’s conviction by the Delhi High Court is a delayed vindication of Justice.” Criticising Congress for the incident, he added, “The Congress and the Gandhi family legacy will continue to pay for the sins of the 1984 riots.”
Justice for the victims of 1984 was buried by the Congress – the NDA restored fairness and accountability.
— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) December 17, 2018
The judgement came at a time when Kamal Nath, another accused in 1984 Sikh riot, took oath as the 18th Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. Allegedly, Nath was present at the Rakab Ganj Sahib Gurdwara where a mob caused riots and burnt two men alive. It is also reported that he seemed to have given directions to the crowd which unleashed an attack on the Gurdwara.
The BJP president, Amit Shah, also took a dig at the Congress party. He said, “no one had any doubt” about the Congress’s role in the attack, as reported by Scroll. He said that that the Congress workers and leaders went on a rampage at the time of the incident, raising provocative slogans, raping women and murdering men in cold blood. He also said that no one was ever found guilty despite the formation of several commissions and eye accounts. While giving the credits to Prime Minister Modi for the verdict, Shah said, “I thank PM for setting up the SIT.”
I want to thank Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi for setting up an SIT in 2015, which initiated re-investigation into several cases of 1984, pending for over three decades. I am grateful to the Court, which has delivered its judgment, bringing relief to the traumatised families.
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 17, 2018
Others leaders like Shiromani Akali Dal member Harsimrat Kaur Badal, BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav and BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya also took on Twitter after the verdict.
Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal: Congress leaders, at the behest of the PM, went to Sikh houses along with police. Even today when I think of all that happened, it gives me goosebumps. Children were crying, they could not utter a word. I still remember it today. https://t.co/6Lwg94Vvrs
— ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2018
Justice to 1984 anti-Sikh riots victims finally. Congress leader Sajjan Kumar sentenced to life imprisonment by Delhi HC. Thanks to d efforts of HM Rajnath Singh n MHA of reopening d cases deliberately suppressed by d previous Govt.
— Ram Madhav (@rammadhavbjp) December 17, 2018
Finally the wheels of justice are moving. Sajjan Kumar gets life sentence in the 1984 state sponsored Sikh genocide.
Prime Minister Modi’s govt facilitated the re-investigation and formed a SIT to investigate the 1984 genocide. Judiciary looked at all the cases afresh. #Respect
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) December 17, 2018
The Aam Adami Party was not left behind in taking the credits for the historical judgement. The party president and the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal welcomed the Delhi HC’s verdict. He…
