Badal raises '84 riots issue

Lambasting the Congress for 1984 anti-Sikh riots the former Punjab Chief Minister and Akali Dal (Badal) president Prakash Singh Badal said Sikhs supporting Congress can't be a true follower of Sikhism.

Lambasting the Congress for 1984 anti-Sikh riots the former Punjab Chief Minister and Akali Dal (Badal) president Prakash Singh Badal said Sikhs supporting Congress can't be a true follower of Sikhism.

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Speaking at an election meeting at Tilak Nagar Badal criticised the role of Congress during Operation Bluestar and the anti-Sikh riots in Delhi. Badal was canvassing for BJP candidate from south Delhi Vijay Kumar Malhotra. The south Delhi constituency has a large percentage of Sikh voters.

He recalled that in 1984 late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi has described the riots as tremors felt when a huge tree falls. "Congress can't be forgiven for killing so many innocent Sikhs," he added.

Badal praised the Vajpayee Government for allocating Rs 100 crores for the tricentenary celebrations of the Khalsa in 1999. He also reminded the people that it was during the tenure of the Vajpayee Government that the portraits of Baba Kharak Singh and Master Tara Singh were unveiled in Parliament.

Badal also raised the issue of foreign origin of Congress president Sonia Gandhi in his speech.

Meanwhile, the BJO cadidate from Sadar, Vijay Goel als raised the issue of 1984 riots. In an objection filed with the returning officer Goel accused his Congress opponent Jagdish Tytler of concealing facts about his case in Nanavati Commission hearing the 1984 riots cases. Tytler however denied the charges and said that there was no such case pending against him.