Sonia Gandhi's book: Akali Dal and BJP target Congress over 1984 mention
Opposition leaders have strongly targeted senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi over excerpts written in her autobiography regarding the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and Operation Blue Star.
A political storm has erupted over the views written about the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and Operation Blue Star in senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's new autobiography 'Belonging: A Journey of Love'. Leaders of Shiromani Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party have raised strong objections to the claims made in the book.
Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal alleged that the book attempts to exonerate the killers of Sikhs and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He said the book reveals that the decision not to deploy the army for the protection of Sikhs in Delhi during that period was taken intentionally. Badal asked Punjab Congress leaders to clarify their stand on this matter.
Delhi government minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that despite the mention of over two thousand deaths inside the book, the names of those senior Congress leaders against whom inquiry commissions had given reports have been hidden. He questioned that not a single word of apology to the victims is recorded in this 544-page book.
Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon alleged that an effort is being made through this book to wash the tainted image of the Gandhi family. He said that by talking about Indira Gandhi's tears, an attempt has been made to justify the military attack on Sri Darbar Sahib. Dhillon demanded an unconditional apology from the Congress high command before the Sikh panth.
In this autobiography released on Tuesday, Sonia Gandhi termed the 1984 carnage as the most painful and shameful period in the country's history. Along with this, the book also includes details of handing over the reins of the country to Dr. Manmohan Singh and other political events.
Key developments
- Comments regarding the 1984 events and Operation Blue Star surfaced in Sonia Gandhi's book.
- Sukhbir Singh Badal demanded that Punjab Congress leaders break their silence on this issue.
- Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Kewal Singh Dhillon accused Congress of hiding the names of culprits and not apologizing.
