The 1984 riot victims from Delhi have questioned the double standards of BJP candidate from Amritsar Arun Jaitley, saying it was his close aide and associate Mukul Rohtagi who was defending Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar in the courts.
Incidentally, Rohtagi is also defending BJP PM nominee Narendra Modi in various courts for his cases related to Gujarat riots. Rohtagi was also seen in Amritsar campaigning for Jaitley recently.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Gurdeep Singh Kahlon, president of the 1984 Sikh Qatal-e-aam Insaaf Committee, claimed that Jaitley had also facilitated a compromise between Tytler, Sajjan Kumar and Parkash Singh Badal in 2001.
"They wanted to bail out the RSS-BJP workers involved in riots and in the bargain offered a compromise on Tytler and Sajjan Kumar", Kahlon claimed while questioning the
silence of Jaitley and Badal on the role of RSS and BJP workers in anti-Sikh riots.
Asserting that Badal had always exploited the issue of 1984 riots for his political gains, Kahlon said that he had never been sincere and had not done a single thing for them. "He has only tamed a few people whom he poses and parades wherever he wants them for his political gains", he added.
Former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) Paramjit Singh Sarna, who was also present at the press conference, asked as to why Badal sent back to the Centre Rs 260 crore meant for riot victims. He claimed that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had provided Rs 460 crore for distribution among the riot victims. While Capt Amarinder Singh during his tenure distributed Rs 200 crore at the rate of Rs 2 lakh each, Badal stopped the distribution of the remaining amoun and sent the money back to the Centre during his tenure as chief minister, claimed Sarna.
{{/usCountry}}Former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) Paramjit Singh Sarna, who was also present at the press conference, asked as to why Badal sent back to the Centre Rs 260 crore meant for riot victims. He claimed that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had provided Rs 460 crore for distribution among the riot victims. While Capt Amarinder Singh during his tenure distributed Rs 200 crore at the rate of Rs 2 lakh each, Badal stopped the distribution of the remaining amoun and sent the money back to the Centre during his tenure as chief minister, claimed Sarna.
{{/usCountry}}Accusing the Akalis of stage-managing the protests against Amarinder, Sarna said that the 'so-called' leaders of the riot victims, Gurdeep Kaur and Surjeet Singh, are "shady characters".He claimed that Badal was protecting them despite the state vigilance bureau recommending registration of cases against the two of them.
Sarna further claimed that the children of both these leaders were studying abroad on SGPC expenses. He claimed that special favours were showered on the two leaders at the expense of other riot victims.