SGPC to honour ’84 riot witnesses

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 16

Senior Supreme Court lawyer HS Phoolka, who has been instrumental in fighting a legal battle for 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims, does not figure in the SGPC list of lawyers and witnesses who would be felicitated formally in the Golden Temple complex on January 22.

SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal had announced to honour witnesses and lawyers related to the Sajjan Kumar case on December 26. He had categorically mentioned the names of lawyers Phoolka, RS Cheema and Gurbaksh and witnesses Jagdish Kaur, Nirpreet Kaur and Jagsher Singh.

Apparently after Phoolka talked about getting the SGPC free from the political influence of Badals, the gurdwara committee postponed this programme.

Now, a fresh programme was chalked out at Teja Singh Samundri Hall around 10 am in which the three key witnesses who led to Sajjan Kumar’s conviction would be honoured. However, the names of lawyers were missing.

An SGPC official confirmed that Phoolka’s name was not in the list. He claimed, “Initially the programme has been scheduled only for the witnesses. The lawyers can be honoured later on.”

Reacting over it, Phoolka said he didn’t receive any communication in this regard, but he would gladly go if any message was received from the SGPC’s side.

“I don’t mind it. If they invite me, I have no hitch in attending the function. Moreover, when I came to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple with my family, the SGPC had honoured me and that was sufficient for me,” he said.