New Delhi, October 24 — The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday questioned the INDIA Bloc's November 1 rally against the alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, accusing Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi of wanting to 'hurt Sikh sentiments' as the date is linked to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, news agency IANS reported.
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Addressing a press conference, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad questioned why Rahul Gandhi was so 'adamant' about holding his rally in Delhi on November 1 as the day holds 'deep emotional significance' for the Sikh community. 'By creating a storm at Ramlila Maidan on November 1, what kind of salt does Rahul Gandhi want to rub into their wounds?' he asked, according to IANS. In the ANI report of the same press conference, Prasad said Gandhi was 'in a very calculated manner, attempting to rub salt into the wounded sentiments of the Sikh community' by insisting on holding the rally on November 1 and refusing to reschedule it.
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Prasad alleged that there were reports of many of the INDIA Bloc's allies 'not being satisfied' with the LoP's decision. 'We have also received information that a virtual meeting was convened on October 22 to discuss this issue. However, since many allies did not attend, the meeting was postponed. We have also learnt that several allies were unhappy with the November 1 date and had suggested that the rally be postponed to a later date,' he claimed, according to IANS. These claims about allies' objections were made by Prasad and have not been independently confirmed, Punjab Chronicle noted in its report.
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Accusing the Congress leader of being 'stubborn', Prasad said: 'This reflects Rahul Gandhi's true face... when he insists on something, he refuses to listen to anyone. If he is determined to have his way, he will go ahead, even if it means cruelly mocking the sentiments of the Sikh community,' IANS reported. Referring to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's remarks that 'when a big tree falls, the earth shakes' following Indira Gandhi's assassination, Prasad said: 'They made every effort to deny the 1984 riots and protect those who perpetrated them.'
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Recalling the Justice Ranganath Misra Commission, Prasad said it had held there was no need for any further enquiry, and he credited the Narendra Modi-led government with forming an SIT to probe the 1984 riots and granting compensation to affected families. 'Subsequently, several accused were convicted and sentenced to life term including Congress MP Sajjan Kumar... therefore all this is connected to November 1, which is an extremely painful day to remember for the Sikhs,' he said, according to IANS. Prasad also recalled Congress leader Sam Pitroda's past remark on the 1984 riots and cited the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor and the observance of Veer Bal Diwas as reflections of the BJP-led government's work to respect Sikh sentiments, ANI reported.
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Prasad further claimed the anti-SIR protests in the national capital had caused losses of nearly Rs 3,000 crore to Delhi's businesses during the Navratri festival and cited a letter by the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) to Rahul Gandhi requesting that the November 1 rally be postponed, saying market footfall had already dropped by 70 per cent, IANS reported. The BJP leader also accused Gandhi of wanting to 'tarnish' India's democracy 'under pressure from foreign forces' — an allegation by Prasad. No response from the Congress or the INDIA bloc to Prasad's remarks had been reported in the IANS and ANI reports at the time of publication.
Source: IANS via Dailyworld