Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for holding an INDIA bloc rally in Delhi on the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh violence, accusing the Congress of showing insensitivity towards the victims and their families.
Addressing a gathering in Chandigarh after inaugurating and laying the foundation stones for development projects worth Rs 258 crore, Shah said the country would not forget that the Congress leader had organised a rally on November 1, a date associated with the killings of thousands of Sikhs in 1984.
Referring to the INDIA bloc's protest at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, Shah alleged that holding the event on the anniversary of the violence had hurt the sentiments of Sikh families. He accused the Congress leadership of reopening painful memories for survivors and those who lost relatives during the riots.
Shah also referred to remarks made by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi following the assassination of Indira Gandhi in October 1984. Recalling the statement, “When a big tree falls, the earth shakes,” he criticised the then prime minister's response to the violence that followed.
The Home Minister alleged that thousands of Sikhs were killed, many were burnt alive, and numerous families were displaced or left without their loved ones during the violence. He also accused the Congress party of being responsible for the attacks.
Taking a swipe at Rahul Gandhi over the opposition's mock parliamentary proceedings against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Shah said the Congress leader should remain in a “mock parliament” if he aspired to become Prime Minister.
He also criticised the INDIA bloc for holding its rally despite appeals from traders in Delhi to defer the event until after Diwali. Shah said the festive period was particularly important for the capital's wholesale markets and claimed that business worth Rs 25,000 crore takes place during the three to four days around the festival.
The INDIA bloc had organised the rally at Ramlila Maidan as part of its campaign against alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Opposition leaders have raised concerns over the functioning of the Election Commission and demanded accountability over the revision process.
Shah also defended the Modi government's actions concerning the 1984 anti-Sikh violence, saying cases had been reopened after the BJP-led government came to power in 2014 and that compensation had been provided to victims' families.
The Home Minister's remarks added to the political confrontation between the BJP and the Congress over the 1984 violence, the INDIA bloc's protest and allegations concerning the electoral process.
