National/Alive News: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held a march in West Delhi on Sunday against the Congress over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The march took place on the same day the INDIA bloc organised a rally at Ramlila Maidan against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Led by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, the BJP march began at Hari Nagar bus depot and ended near Tilak Nagar Metro station after covering around one kilometre. Thousands of party workers carrying national and BJP flags participated in the march through Sikh-dominated areas. They also held placards blaming the Congress for the 1984 violence.
Puri said the violence against Sikhs on November 1, 1984, was not spontaneous but a planned massacre. He claimed that 2,733 people were killed in the violence and criticised the Congress for organising its rally on the same date.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Cabinet Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ashish Sood and Delhi BJP chief Harsh Malhotra were among those who joined the march. Party leaders raised slogans against the Congress and the Gandhi family.
Gupta said her family had provided shelter to a Sikh neighbour during the violence. She also accused the Congress of choosing the date for political reasons.
Malhotra said the march was organised to pay tribute to those killed in the anti-Sikh violence. He alleged that Congress leaders, including Sajjan Kumar, were responsible for the attacks.
Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc held its rally at Ramlila Maidan, focusing on its allegations regarding the functioning of the Election Commission and the revision of electoral rolls.
