NEW DELHI: Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday, November 2 said that Congress has “not apologised in a meaningful way” for the “genocide” of Sikhs in 1984 and the party is responsible for the “atrocities” against his community.
Puri, who is Union Minister for Oil and Natural Gas, also said there was “failure of justice” in giving punishment to those responsible for the heinous crimes. “It is 40 years today when the genocide and pogrom against my community took place in Delhi. Three thousand people were killed in cold blood and the Congress has not apologised in a meaningful way till date. More important, you look at the failure of justice at that point of time,” Puri told ANI.
“I don’t call them riots because the riots mean a two-way thing. They were carried out by targeting one community. And the person who is widely held responsible for this is still a member of the Congress Working Committee. So all I can say is that they should be ashamed of themselves. I am surprised that many of my Sikh brethren still some virtue in supporting a party like the Congress party which is solely responsible for the atrocities committed against my community in Delhi in 1984,” he added.
There were violent attacks on Sikhs following assassination of Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984 in Delhi and some other parts of the country.A Delhi court had last month framed charges of murder and other offences against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in a 1984 anti-Sikh violence case. Tytler has moved the Delhi High Court challenging the trial court order that framed charges against him.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had apologised to MPs and people over the killing of over Sikhs in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi’s assassination in 1984. Families of victims of 1984 violence against Sikhs have been demanding “long-delayed justice”.
The Union Minister also lambasted Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over his remarks on BJP and the central government saying that the latter’s statement is due to his frustration that stems from within his party.
Puri alleged that Kharge was snubbed when Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi went to file her nomination in Wayanad, and wasn’t even allowed in the room.
During a recent visit to Karnataka, Kharge publicly chastised the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, emphasizing that making promises without implementation plans would damage their credibility.
“He’s showing deep-seated frustration, and that frustration is also understandable. Why is it understandable? When Priyanka went to file her nomination, he was not even allowed to sit inside the room. Then when he goes to Karnataka, he sees the mess there, then with the camera on, he’s telling the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister that if you make promises and you say that you’re reviewing a scheme, which means you’re not going to be able to implement the promises, you lack credibility and you will get into trouble. That’s a reality,” the Union Minister said. (With inputs from ANI)
