Amit Shah plays 1984 riots card: ‘BJP won’t spare culprits’
In the same breath, the BJP chief targeted chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh for “failing” fulfil pre-poll promises made to the people of Punjab and local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu for “siding” with Pakistan.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Amit Shah on Sunday said the Narendra Modi government ensured justice to the families of 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims and claimed that the culprits behind the mass massacre will not be spared.
In the same breath, the BJP chief targeted chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh for “failing” fulfil pre-poll promises made to the people of Punjab and local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu for “siding” with Pakistan.
Here to address a rally in favour of party candidate from Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency Sunny Deol, Shah said: “Thousands of Sikhs were killed in 1984 but nobody was punished. But after Modi government was formed, justice was delivered to families of the victims,” Shah said, adding “those who were involved in the riots will be prosecuted. Congress leader Sajjan Kumar was jailed because of the report prepared by a special investigation team formed by PM Modi. It’s just a beginning. Besides Kumar, there were many people involved in the riots and our government will not spare any of them.”
“I want to ask Amarinder, who claims to be the advocate of the Sikh community, where were you when Sajjan Kumar was made MP thrice by the Congress? asked Shah.
Shah also asked Amarinder to clarify his stand on Sidhu’s love for Pakistan and his pro-Pakistan remarks post-Pulwama attack.
“It is a well-established fact that Pak-sponsored terrorists carried out the Pulwama attack in which the country lost 40 CRPF personnel, but Sidhu defended Pakistan saying that a terrorist has no country. If you (Sidhu) like Pakistan so much, why are you living in this side of Punjab, go and live in Punjab across the border,” said Shah, who was flanked by SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, Punjab BJP chief Shwait Malik and Sunny Deol.
Listing out the “failures” of the Amarinder-led Congress government in the state, the BJP chief said: “The Congress government, which came to power in Punjab promising moon to the people, has failed to provide a job to one member of a family, complete debt wavier to farmers and free smartphones to the youth.”
Urging the people to vote for Deol, the BJP president recalled the works done in the constituency by former MP and actor Vinod Khanna. He assured the people that Deol will realise the dream of Khanna who had represented the constituency four times.
He said if voted to power, the BJP government will abolish Section 370 in Kashmir.