CHANDIGARH — Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party state president Kewal Singh Dhillon on Saturday strongly condemned the visit of three party Members of Parliament to the residence of convicted 1984 anti-Sikh riots leader Sajjan Kumar, terming the gesture “extremely painful and unfortunate.”
Clarifying the party’s stance, Dhillon stated that the BJP had no association with the visit and that the state unit condemned the action in the strongest possible terms. He emphasized that Sajjan Kumar had been sentenced to life imprisonment by the courts for his direct role in the horrific killings of innocent Sikhs during the 1984 massacre, adding that extending sympathy to such an individual was an insult to the suffering of victim families and amounted to reopening deep historical wounds.
Dhillon commended BJP national president Nitin Nabin for intervening promptly, noting that the central leadership had firmly reprimanded the three Delhi lawmakers and demanded an explanation for their conduct. He stated that this swift action demonstrated the party leadership’s sensitivity toward the sentiments of the Sikh community and the families of the riot victims.
Contrasting the party’s record with historical political responses, Dhillon asserted that while previous Congress administrations shielded those accused in the 1984 carnage for decades, the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi established Special Investigation Teams (SITs) that enabled the prosecution and conviction of key perpetrators. He reaffirmed that the Punjab BJP remains steadfast in its solidarity with the survivors and victim families in their ongoing quest for justice.
