Sikhs will never forgive Congress for 1984 riots: Parkash Singh Badal

The Sikh community will never forgive the Congress for “hatching” the conspiracy of 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said on Sunday.

“The wounds of 1984 Sikh carnage will remain afresh in the psyche of every Sikh, and the Sikh community will never forgive Congress for hatching the conspiracy of this dastardly act,” Mr Badal said.

After laying the foundation stone of a new police station building in Tarn Taran, the chief minister said it was a well-known fact that the “heinous crime”, in which hundreds of innocent Sikhs were massacred, was “planned and executed” by the then Congress government at the Centre.

Mr Badal said besides “planning this genocide”, Congress has rubbed salt into the wounds of Sikhs by “shielding and honouring” the perpetrators of this barbaric incident with coveted positions.

The chief minister said Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), being the sole custodian of rights of Sikhs, had raised the issue of justice for victims of this genocide with the Government of India time and again, and this crusade will continue till exemplary punishment is not ensured to the guilty.

Mr Badal said he had also taken up this issue with the NDA government at the Centre, which has assured to give justice to the victims of this genocide.

“This issue has bruised the psyche of every Sikh and SAD is duty-bound to ensure that its perpetrators were brought to the book,” Mr Badal said.

Refuting the charges of political vendetta levelled by the opposition parties, the chief minister said not even a single case has been registered by police out of vendetta and such allegations are totally baseless.

However, Mr Badal said if anybody has any grievance regarding it, then they could directly approach him with facts.

The chief minister said the state government was examining the allegations regarding fake encounters levelled by a former cop Parminder Singh Pinky.

However, he said that the person who was levying these allegations was not having any credibility.

The chief minister further said that the state government was laying special focus on maintaining law and order in the state for which special thrust was being laid on construction of police stations and modernisation of police.

He said under this scheme, new buildings of police station at Chohla Sahib would come up at a cost of Rs. 1.56 crore and that at Tarn Taran would be constructed at cost of Rs. 2 crore.

Earlier, addressing the public gatherings during Sangat Darshan at village Tur, Khan Chabri and Kahlwan, the chief minister said the massive response to ‘Sadbhawna’ rallies in various districts of state have proved that the people of Punjab want peace and progress in the state and there was no space for divisive agenda in the state.

He said peace and harmony were the basic ingredients of progress and prosperity of any country.

Recalling the turbulent times of militancy, Mr Badal said more than 21,000 innocent people lost their lives during those times and Punjabis paid a heavy price of that period as due to it, the state lagged behind in development.

He said ‘Sadbhawna’ rallies were being organised not for any political purpose, but for promoting ethos of peace and communal harmony in the state.