BJP demands punishment for guilty in anti-Sikh riots

NEW DELHI - The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by its senior leader Arun Jaitley Tuesday took out a candle-light march here to demand punishment for those guilty in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Addressing the workers, Jaitley blamed the Congress for the murder of thousands of Sikhs in the aftermath of the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1984.

“It is regrettable that today one of the Sikhs is the prime minister but he is unable to ensure justice to the Sikhs. Not a single guilty person of the riots has been punished. Due to delay in justice, there is great anger among the community,” he said.

BJP workers tried to march from Jantar Mantar in central Delhi to parliament, but were taken into preventive custody midway.

Leaders of Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) also took part in the march.

Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal said the Congress was trying to defend its leaders Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler and this had angered the community.