BJP leader Phoolka questions Sonia Gandhi’s account of 1984 anti-Sikh riots in memoir

Another BJP spokesperson accused the book of glossing over historical wrongs. Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said the criticism was politically timed.

The Bhartiya Janata Party greeted Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s memoir “Belonging: A Journey of Love” with a barrage of criticism, primarily over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, alleging that she tried to give a clean-chit to the Gandhi family.

BJP leader HS Phoolka, a prominent lawyer who fought cases for Sikh victims, said in a press conference: “In her book, she (Sonia) has attempted to grant a self-clean chit to her own family—even regarding the massacre of Sikhs.”

“In her book, she claims that on the night of October 31, Rajiv Gandhi instructed Army Chief General Vaidya to call in the army. She asserts that General Vaidya himself decided against using the army units stationed near Delhi—purportedly because they included Sikh soldiers—and instead ordered troops from further away, such as Dehradun.”

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“This account is entirely contrary to the facts,” said Phoolka, claiming that on October 31 and the morning of November 1, there were 6,000 army personnel available in Delhi, according to the Ranganath Mishra Commission. He added that the commission had said that if 5,000 of these soldiers had been deployed to march through the streets of Delhi on the morning of November 1, at least 2,000 Sikh lives could have been saved.

“Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister at the time. What action did he take? If Rajiv Gandhi himself is not held responsible, then what action did he take against those who were responsible for these massacres of Sikhs—those who failed to call upon the army, which was readily available in Delhi on November 1?” he questioned.

Phoolka added, “In his first speech—at his very first rally—Rajiv remarked that ‘when a big tree falls, the earth shakes’. In doing so, he essentially attempted to justify the entire massacre. And now, in her book, Sonia Gandhi attempts to absolve Rajiv Gandhi and their family. This stands in direct contradiction to the official record. It is an absolute lie.”

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BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan criticised the memoir, suggesting it could have been titled “Whitewashing”.

“...the motive of this book appears to be sugarcoating the historical wrongs perpetrated by the Nehru-Gandhi family and camouflaging the cardinal sins committed by the Congress party,” Kesavan said.

Responding to the BJP’s criticism over Operation Blue Star, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari accused the ruling party of “scratching old wounds” ahead of the Punjab assembly elections.