Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
Chandigarh, Nov 1: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday accused the Congress of being responsible for the "brutal killing" of Sikhs during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and alleged that Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was "rubbing salt into the victims' wounds" by holding the INDIA bloc's rally in Delhi on the same date.
Shah made the remarks while referring to the bloc's 'Dilli Chalo' rally at Ramlila Maidan in the national capital.
Addressing a public gathering at Tiranga Park in Chandigarh, the Union Home Minister recalled that on November 1, 1984, thousands of Sikhs were allegedly burned alive in riots in Delhi that he claimed were instigated by the Congress. Many were forced to flee their homes, children were orphaned, women lost their husbands and thousands of families were devastated, he said.
Referring to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's controversial remark, "when a big tree falls, the earth shakes", Shah said people still remembered the statement and alleged that only Congress leaders could have the audacity to describe the massacre of thousands of Sikhs in such terms.
He said that after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government came to power, cases related to the riots were reopened, victims were provided financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each, and prominent Congress leaders implicated in the violence were sent to jail.
"The country had never before witnessed riots sponsored by a political party on such a scale," Shah alleged.
Questioning the INDIA bloc's decision to hold its rally in Delhi on November 1, Shah said he had initially thought Rahul Gandhi was too young during the riots and might not have studied history or understood the significance of the date.
He said the BJP had appealed through a press conference to the Congress not to hold the rally on November 1, 2 or 3, as these dates were associated with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and such an event would hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community, including women and children.
"Despite this, Congress did not change its plans," he said.
Shah further alleged that the decision to organise the rally on the day thousands of Sikhs were burned alive had been taken at the behest of foreign interests, asserting that India and Punjab would never forget the tragedy.
Referring to repeated appeals by traders to Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders, Shah said business activity peaks during the Diwali season, when traders stock sweets, firecrackers and new clothes for children. Unsold inventory during the period could result in significant losses, he added.
"Business worth around Rs 25,000 crore takes place during these three to four days. Traders repeatedly appealed through letters and press conferences to postpone the rally until after Diwali, but Congress did not change the date," he said.
Meanwhile, Shah cited the abrogation of Article 370, efforts to eliminate Naxalism and the abolition of triple talaq under the Modi-led government, asserting that the country was progressing at an unprecedented pace.
He also said the government was committed to making the country, including Punjab, drug-free by December 31, 2029.
Earlier, Shah inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for various development and infrastructure projects worth Rs 258 crore in Chandigarh before addressing the public gathering at Tiranga Park.