Chandigarh, October 31
After the announcement of Rs 5 lakh compensation each for the families of 3,324 persons killed in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots by the Modi Government, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today said it would move a resolution in the Lok Sabha to censure the Congress for its alleged role in the anti-Sikh riots in Delhi, Bokaro, Kanpur, Lucknow and other places in country.

MP and SAD general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra said it was established that the riots were engineered by Congress leaders against the Sikhs living in Delhi and elsewhere. However, various Congress-led governments at the Centre did not take any steps to punish the guilty. “In fact, the Congress rewarded the leaders, who were allegedly involved in the riots with important positions”, said Chandumajra.

SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said his party would make all efforts to ensure justice for riot victims. “The compensation was just a beginning. Our party will ask the NDA government to do more for the victims”, Sukhbir has been quoted as saying.

The issue of the 1984 riots has been in public domain for the past 30 years. But no political party has brought a resolution in Parliament to condemn the killings.

“SAD was an ally and remained part of the Vajpayee government from 1998 to 2004 but it did not bring any resolution in Parliament to condemn the riots and to seek justice for riot victims”, said advocate HS Phoolka, who has been fighting the cases of riot victims.

“The SAD is part of the BJP government for the past five months at the Centre but it did not bring any resolution. Even if they bring it now, we welcome it. But all this must be kept above politics, ” he said.