Even as Congress continues to stay in denial about the party and its leaders’ role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots which took place following the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards, 1984 riot victims have written to Congress President Rahul Gandhi asserting that they will never be able to forgive Rajiv Gandhi and Congress.
In a letter, the anti-Sikh riot victims condemn the use of the word ‘shaheed’ (martyr) for Rajiv Gandhi. “Rahul ji, the whole country knows Rajiv Gandhi was responsible for the bloodshed that took place in 1984. The Sikh community will never forgive Rajiv Gandhi for the murder of 10,000 Sikhs. Rajiv not only got Sikhs killed but even rewarded the perpetrators of violence Jagdish Tytler, Sajjan Kumar and Kamal Nath by making them ministers and members of the parliament. To call such a man a martyr is an insult to the ones who lay down their lives for the nation,” the letter reads.
When OpIndia contacted one of the signatories, Gurjeet Singh, he said that Sikhs and even non-Sikhs who were victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots will never be able to forgive Rajiv Gandhi and Congress.
The victims further ask Rahul Gandhi to withdraw his words of referring to Rajiv Gandhi as martyr or face opposition from the entire nation for it.
Another scathing letter was also posted by Shiromani Akali Dal leader Manjinder Sirsa where he asked Rahul Gandhi a few pointed questions about his father Rajiv Gandhi’s involvement in 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
1984 के पीड़ित परिवार @RahulGandhi से जवाब मांग रहे हैं हमारी भी चिट्ठी पढ़ो और हमें भी जवाब दो pic.twitter.com/ENlFiK2K7b
— Manjinder S Sirsa (@mssirsa) May 7, 2019
In the letter, the victims ask Rahul Gandhi if he is aware that the 1984 anti-Sikh riots were carried out on the behest of his father, Rajiv Gandhi, by making use of the Congress party machinery? “Are you unaware that your father then justified the anti-Sikh riots by publicly proclaiming that ‘when a big tree falls, the earth shakes’? The country is a witness that your grandmother Indira Gandhi led an attack on the Akal Takht Sahib and killed many innocent people by sending the army in the Darbar Sahib (during Operation Blue Star). The policy your grandmother adopted to eliminate the Sikh was very well implemented by your father. After your father’s death, your mother also rewarded those in Congress responsible for the slaughter of Sikhs by giving them high posts and making them ministers,” the letter states.
Referring to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath as a murderer, the victims write, “Shockingly, when you became the party president, you continued your family policy and made Kamal Nath a chief minister which was nothing short of rubbing salt on the wounds of the Sikhs.”
The victims remind Rahul Gandhi how he has not even condemned, let alone apologised, on behalf of his father and grandmother for destroying the lives of the Sikhs.
The controversy about the actions of Rajiv Gandhi during his tenure as the prime minister started afer Prime Minister Modi, while addressing a rally, referred to him as ‘Bhrashtachari no 1‘ over his involvement in the Bofors scam. That opened a can of worms where other allegations against Rajiv Gandhi were raked up including his involvement in 1984 anti-Sikh riots and Bhopal gas tragedy.
