New Delhi, Feb 12 The city's Rouse Avenue Court on Wednesday convicted former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 Anti-Sikh riots case, sparking reactions from multiple quarters including the BJP. Many BJP leaders welcomed the verdict and also accused the Congress of shielding those responsible for the massacre for decades.
BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa called the conviction a long-overdue step toward justice.
"Today, the court has convicted Sajjan Kumar in another 1984 Sikh massacre case. The court confirmed his role in Jaswant Singh’s killing as per the 1991 FIR at Saraswati Vihar police station."
He blamed Congress for the brutal attacks on Sikhs, accusing its leaders of setting Sikhs on fire.
"One by one, all the sins of 1984 are coming to light. Congress kept shielding Sajjan Kumar and other criminals, but truth has prevailed."
Sirsa credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reopening the 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases by launching a Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigation into the massacre.
"I thank PM Modi for ensuring these criminals are finally in jail. We hope the court now hands him either the death penalty or life imprisonment," he added.
BJP National Secretary Tarun Chugh hailed the conviction as a historic moment for Sikhs.
"This is an important day for Punjabis and Sikhs. The main conspirator of the 1984 Sikh genocide, Sajjan Kumar, has been convicted. Justice may have been delayed by 40 years, but it has been delivered."
He accused Congress of protecting the killers instead of punishing them.
"Congress used voter lists to identify Sikh homes and penalise them. Former PM Rajiv Gandhi justified it by saying, ‘When a big tree falls, the earth shakes," said Chugh.
Chugh credited PM Modi for ensuring justice, compensation, and employment opportunities for Sikhs since 2014.
Sajjan Kumar is currently serving life imprisonment in another anti-Sikh riots case. Fresh conviction in another riots case adds to his trouble.
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