Ludhiana, August 11, 2014: Senior Advocate H S Phoolka has written a letter to the Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal regarding 1984-riots. The letter reads: “It appears that SAD has forgotten the issue of November, 1984. The NDA government in which SAD is also a part is in power since May but unfortunately the government has not taken any steps at all on the issue of November, 1984 till now.”
He added “it was revealed by Daman Singh D/o, Former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh on a TV channel day before yesterday that Manmohan Singh’s house was also attacked by mob in November 1984 in Ashok Vihar area of Delhi. It was Manmohan Singh’s son in law, who happens to be a Hindu, who saved the house from burning when the house was almost set on fire by the mob. She claimed that the rioters who attacked the house were known to them. With these revelations the wounds of the Sikhs have revived.”
Adding, Phoolka said in Ashok Vihar area where Manmohan Singh’s house was located 7 Sikhs were killed, 4 Gurdwara were burnt, 5 houses were burnt, 7 shops were burnt and 42 vehicles were burnt. Some of the victims had named the then Congress Councilor as the leader of the mob. But no one has been punished for all these offences and the cases were closed as untraced.
He added the demand of SIT was made for re-opening and re-investigating 237 cases which were closed as untraced. The SAD had fully supported this demand and on 8 May 2013 you had announced, while breaking the fast of Nirpreet Kaur that SAD would pursue the demand of formation of SIT. In February 2014 the Kejriwal Government announced the formation of SIT. After the resignation of Kejriwal Government this SIT was first stalled by the UPA government and now it is stalled by the NDA government.
Further, he stated, NDA government is in power since May but not even a single step has been taken in securing justice for the victims and punishing the guilty. The incident is 30 years old. Some of the victims are no longer alive and others victims are getting old. Immediate steps are required to be taken to record the statement of these witnesses. “You are requested to fulfill your promise made to the Sikhs and make the SIT operational immediately, without any further delay”, Phoolka writes to Badal.