’84 riot victims’ panel announces support to BJP in Delhi election

Ravi S. Singh
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 29

The All India Riot Victims Relief Committee-1984 (AIRVRC), headed by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), on Wednesday announced support to the BJP in the upcoming Delhi elections. 

AIRVRC president Kuldip Singh Bhogal made the announcement after a meeting of an executive committee of the organisation. 

The AIRVRC also extended support to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and said "it does not take citizenship, but grants it to minorities, including Sikhs, persecuted in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan".

“The AIRVRC has decided to support BJP in the election, and the CAA,” said Bhogal, while showering praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ensuring “justice” for riot victims.

“Constituting SIT and re-investigation of the riot cases which were deliberately closed by Congress-led UPA government, preparing a water-tight case against accused, are some of the steps that the Narendra Modi government took in favour of the Sikhs.”

He referred to killings of 127 Sikhs in Kanpur saying it was "brushed under the carpet till the BJP government" was formed in Uttar Pradesh.

A representation was made by AIRVRC to Modi about the victims, following which a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted by the  government within eight days to reinvestigate the cases, he said.

“Prime Minister of BJP-led NDA Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the first Prime Minister who had unequivocally said that the anti-Sikh riots would be remembered as a black day in annals of the country. Narendra Modi took this to a more practical level by ensuring justice.” Bhogal said.

Bhogal said the victims and their kin were humiliated by the accused for more than 30 years, stressing that although Congress leader Sajjan Kumar had been convicted, the law is catching up on the other accused. 

Describing the CAA as “beneficial and affirmative”, he urged Muslims not to fall prey to canards spread by vested interests. He asked them to call off their sit-in protests in Delhi, including those at Shaheen Bagh, as they were "encroaching" on the rights of others.

“School children and college students preparing for their upcoming board and university exams of the areas concerned are facing difficulties in reaching their institutes,” Bhogal said. 

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