SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal has accused Sonia Gandhi of providing a clean chit to those involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh massacre in her new memoir, demanding that Punjab Congress leaders break their silence on the controversial account.
Sukhbir Singh Badal Criticizes Sonia Gandhi's Memoir
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi over her memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', accusing her of giving a "clean chit" to those responsible for the 1984 anti-Sikh massacre and demanding that Congress leaders in Punjab break their silence on the issue.
In a strongly worded statement on X, Badal alleged that Sonia Gandhi's account of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's decision not to deploy Sikh Army personnel in Delhi during the 1984 violence provided evidence of the Congress government's alleged patronage of the massacre. "Congress leaders in Punjab must break their criminal silence on the clean chit given by Sonia Gandhi to the killers of thousands of innocent Sikhs in 1984. Her admission that Rajiv Gandhi purposely and personally decided not to deploy Army units in Delhi because they included Sikh personnel finally provides the clinching evidence of Congress govt patronage of the anti-Sikh massacre," Badal said.
Questioning the Congress Leadership Position
Questioning Congress leadership's position, he referred to the deployment of the Army during Operation Blue Star and asked why Sikh personnel were allegedly not deployed to protect people during the 1984 violence. "The Congress govt could send a Sikh General to lead Operation Blue Star on Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib and Sri Akal Takht Sahib, but would not deploy Sikh Army personnel to protect innocent Sikhs in 1984?" he asked.
Badal also questioned whether Punjab Congress leaders, including those from the Sikh community, endorsed the alleged decision to withhold Army deployment. "Do Punjab Congress leaders, including Sikh leaders, endorse this decision to leave innocent Sikhs at the mercy of marauding killers belonging to the Congress party and the government headed by Rajiv Gandhi? Will they ask Sonia Gandhi to explain why Rajiv Gandhi chose to stop the army deployment to save the lives of innocent Sikhs? Cowardly silence won’t do," he said.
Broader Political Reactions to the Memoir
The controversy follows the release of Sonia Gandhi's memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', which has triggered a political confrontation between Congress, the BJP and other Opposition parties over her recollections of several contentious episodes in India's political history. In the memoir, Gandhi recalled former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi watching a video of the aftermath of Operation Blue Star, writing that she could see her mother-in-law's face wet with tears of pain and regret over the manner in which the military operation had ended and the large number of lives lost.
The account has drawn criticism from several BJP leaders, who have questioned Gandhi's recollections of Operation Blue Star and the 1984 anti-Sikh violence. BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan accused Gandhi of selectively expressing grief over historical events and suggested that the memoir should have been titled 'Whitewashing' instead of 'Belonging'. AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj also questioned the significance of Gandhi's recollection, while BJP MP Satnam Singh Sandhu sought clarity on whether the remorse described in the memoir concerned the attack on the Golden Temple or Indira Gandhi's own political decisions. Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa rejected Gandhi's account, accusing the Gandhi family of expressing "crocodile tears" over the 1984 violence. BJP leaders Tarun Chugh and RP Singh also questioned Congress leadership's handling of Operation Blue Star and the subsequent anti-Sikh violence.
Meanwhile, reacting to Sonia Gandhi's memoir, Rajasthan Finance Commission Chairman Dr Arun Chaturvedi also criticised her account, alleging that she had shown contrasting emotions towards different historical events. Speaking to ANI in Jaipur, Chaturvedi said, "Through this book, the entire country has seen her true views. She shows no such emotion over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, yet mourns the Babri Masjid demolition. She also criticises the RSS and Narendra Modi, whose life, I believe, has been dedicated to serving the nation." (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
