Sukhbir Badal Accuses Sonia Gandhi of Giving ‘Clean Chit’ to 1984 Anti-Sikh Massacre Perpetrators

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday accused Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi of giving a "clean chit" to those responsible for the 1984 anti-Sikh massacre, following revelations in her memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love. He called on Congress leaders in Punjab to question her account of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's decision on the deployment of Army personnel in Delhi during the violence.

In a statement posted on X, Badal alleged that Sonia Gandhi's account provided evidence of the Congress government's complicity in the massacre. He said her recollection that Rajiv Gandhi had personally decided against deploying Sikh Army personnel in Delhi raised serious questions about the government's response to the violence.

"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," Badal said.

BADAL QUESTIONS ARMY DEPLOYMENT

Badal questioned why Sikh Army personnel were allegedly not deployed to protect people during the 1984 violence, while a Sikh general had been assigned to lead Operation Blue Star in June that year.

"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.

He also sought an explanation from Punjab Congress leaders, including those from the Sikh community, on whether they endorsed the alleged decision to withhold the 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," Badal said.

SONIA GANDHI'S MEMOIR TRIGGERS POLITICAL ROW

The controversy follows the release of Sonia Gandhi's memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, which has drawn criticism from BJP and other Opposition leaders over her recollections of contentious episodes in India's political history.

In the book, Gandhi recalls former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi watching a video of the aftermath of Operation Blue Star. She writes that her mother-in-law's face was wet with tears of pain and regret over the way the military operation had ended and the number of lives lost.

The account has prompted questions from BJP leaders about Gandhi's recollections of Operation Blue Star and the 1984 anti-Sikh violence. BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan criticised the memoir, suggesting that it should have been titled Whitewashing rather than Belonging.

AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj also questioned the significance of Gandhi's recollection. BJP MP Satnam Singh Sandhu sought clarification on whether the remorse described in the book related to the attack on the Golden Temple or Indira Gandhi's own political decisions.

Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused the Gandhi family of expressing "crocodile tears" over the 1984 violence. BJP leaders Tarun Chugh and RP Singh also criticised the Congress leadership over Operation Blue Star and the events that followed.

MORE BJP CRITICISM OF THE MEMOIR

Rajasthan Finance Commission chairman Arun Chaturvedi also criticised Sonia Gandhi's account, alleging that she had expressed contrasting emotions over different historical events.

Speaking to ANI in Jaipur, Chaturvedi said Gandhi had shown no comparable emotion over the 1984 anti-Sikh violence while mourning the demolition of the Babri Masjid. He also criticised her remarks about the RSS and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The memoir has become the focus of a political dispute, with leaders from the BJP, Congress and other parties contesting Gandhi's recollections of events that continue to shape India's political debate.

With inputs from ANI