Sikh body demands BJP chief clarify MPs' visit to Sajjan Kumar

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has written to BJP President J.P. Nadda seeking clarification regarding a recent visit by three BJP Members of Parliament to the residence of Sajjan Kumar. The three MPs' visit sparked immediate controversy within the Sikh community, with the DSGMC expressing concern over what it characterised as a highly sensitive matter.

In its statement, the DSGMC reiterated its longstanding position that Sajjan Kumar played a central role as a perpetrator of the 1984 anti-Sikh violence that followed the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The committee asserted that his actions during that period constitute crimes that cannot be condoned or reconciled under any circumstances.

The visit has reignited tensions surrounding the 1984 riots, which claimed thousands of Sikh lives in Delhi and other parts of the country. Sajjan Kumar, a former Congress politician, has faced accusations of inciting mobs and orchestrating attacks on the Sikh community during the violence. The DSGMC's letter seeks answers from the BJP leadership about the nature and purpose of the parliamentary delegation's visit to his residence.

The incident underscores the continuing sensitivities surrounding 1984 in Indian politics and within the Sikh community. The DSGMC has demanded that the BJP provide a public explanation for the visit and clarify whether it signals any shift in the party's position on accountability for the riots.