Chandigarh, Jan 24 (IANS) Punjab BJP leader Pritpal Singh Baliawal on Saturday condemned the Congress for celebrating the relief granted to its leader Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, calling it a “disgraceful and insensitive act that has once again exposed the party’s historic complicity and moral bankruptcy on the issue of justice for Sikh victims”.

He said such celebrations “are not only an insult to the memory of those who lost their lives in 1984 but also a direct assault on the dignity and suffering of thousands of Sikh families who continue to seek justice even after four decades”.

Baliawal said in a statement that while thousands of Sikh families “are still awaiting complete justice for the horrific crimes of 1984, it is extremely unfortunate and shameful that the Congress chose to celebrate this court development by putting up posters and banners”.

He described the conduct as morally indefensible and politically disgraceful.

He also condemned the act of Delhi Congress Mahila Wing president Pushpa Singh for portraying this limited legal relief as a “victory of truth” and glorifying Kumar through posters displayed across Delhi.

Baliawal said this was not a routine legal update but a deeply painful provocation for the Sikh community. Kumar’s name has long been associated with the 1984 anti-Sikh genocide, and he continues to face multiple cases related to those crimes.

The 1984 massacre has been recognised by courts, commissions of inquiry and history itself as a grave crime against humanity. Projecting a minor relief in one case as a “victory of truth” and portraying Kumar as a hero amounts to a cruel mockery of the suffering endured by thousands of Sikh families, the BJP leader said.

Baliawal pointed out that the Congress “is deliberately ignoring the fact that Kumar has already been convicted in other cases related to the 1984 violence and is currently serving a sentence”.

Several courts have held him responsible for inciting mobs and orchestrating large-scale violence against Sikhs.

“In such a backdrop, the attempt by the Congress to create a celebratory narrative is nothing but an effort to whitewash the crimes of 1984 and insult the collective conscience of the Sikh community,” he added.

–IANS

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