1984 Genocide: Hardeep Singh Puri, CM Rekha Gupta Meet Survivors
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Delhi CM Rekha Gupta meet survivors of the 1984 anti-Sikh genocide to discuss their well-being and experiences.
In a poignant gesture of solidarity and remembrance, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta met with victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots on Saturday. The meeting, held at Minister Puri's residence in Delhi, served as a platform for the survivors to share their harrowing experiences and for the leaders to enquire about their current well-being.
Emotional moments were captured during the visit, with visuals showing Chief Minister Rekha Gupta consoling one of the victims, highlighting the deep scars left by the violence that occurred four decades ago.
A Political Clash Over Remembrance
This meeting takes place amidst a heightened political atmosphere in the national capital. The ruling BJP has launched a counter-offensive against the INDIA bloc's "Chalo Delhi" rally. While the opposition held their demonstration, the BJP organised marches across several zones of Delhi to commemorate the victims of the 1984 violence.
The BJP has strongly criticised the Congress party, accusing them of inappropriately staging a political rally on the anniversary of such a grave tragedy, which they claim deeply hurts the sentiments of the Sikh community.
'Not Riots, But Genocide'
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has been vocal in his refusal to use the term "riots" to describe the events of 1984. Instead, he has classified the tragedy as an organised "genocide" and a "crime against humanity."
Drawing on official figures, Puri highlighted the scale of the massacre, noting that 2,733 people were killed in Delhi alone, with the national death toll reaching 3,325.
Challenging the Official Narrative
Minister Puri has openly questioned the long-standing narrative that the killings were a spontaneous outburst of public anger following the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He asserted that this claim is simply untrue and that the violence was calculated.
"Regarding what happened in Delhi 42 years ago, there is quite a lot of information available. But I feel that, ‘the mind plays tricks,’ great efforts have been made to claim that what happened, the violence that occurred in Delhi, was spontaneous, driven by public anger. This statement is simply not true," Puri stated.
To support his claim of a planned attack, Puri recalled a specific incident from late October or early November 1, 1984, where the target was not just common citizens but high-ranking officials. He mentioned that the car of India's 7th President, Giani Zail Singh, was attacked near AIIMS as he was returning from an official tour of Africa.
Widespread Participation in Memorial Marches
Earlier on November 1, a significant march was held from the Hari Nagar Depot to the Tilak Nagar Metro Station. This event saw a massive turnout, including:
- Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri
- Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta
- Delhi BJP President Harsh Malhotra
- Delhi Government Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa
- Ashish Sood, along with various MPs and MLAs
- Numerous party functionaries and a large number of residents from the Sikh community.