1984 anti-Sikh riots: BJP charges fly on its face

With the electoral battle moving to Delhi, Haryana and Punjab in the last two phases — states home to sizeable Sikh population — in the next two phases, the BJP stepped up attack on the Congress on Thursday by blaming former (late) PM Rajiv Gandhi directly for the Sikh massacre during 1984 riots.

Citing Justice Nanavati Commission's name to add authenticity to its claim, BJP said, "It's on record of Nanavati Commission that probed the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the biggest genocide of India in which the government killed its own citizens, that instructions to kill came directly from the then PM Rajiv Gandhi's office. The country awaits justice for this karma."

There are 30 seats that are up for grabs in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana in the next two phases. To form its government in the Centre the BJP desperately needs to repeat 2014 performance in these states when it had won 19 out of 30 seats – seven each in Delhi and Haryana and 5 in Punjab along with its alliance partner Akali Dal.

Ironically, the BJP's allegations lost steam as soon it became evident that the Nanavati Commission's report said nothing to substantiate it. Instead, the report rather exonerated Rajiv Gandhi from all such charges.

To quote from page 181-182, it said, "It was suggested that Shri Rajiv Gandhi had told one of his officials that Sikhs should be taught a lesson. The Commission finds no substance in that allegation. The evidence in this behalf is very vague. It is also not believable that Shri Rajiv Gandhi would have stated so to an official assuming that some conversation took place between him and that official."

The report though did find that the local unit of the party was involved in the riots as it said, "Whatever acts were done, were done by the local Congress (I) leaders and workers, and they appear to have done so for their personal political reasons."