New Delhi: Following the recent life sentence handed to former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar for his involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, victims’ families are still grappling with the pain of a justice system they feel has failed them. However, they expressed gratefulness to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ensuring that they got justice.
While the Rouse Avenue Court’s ruling brought closure for many, some victims still feel it falls short of true justice, demanding that Sajjan Kumar should have been given harsher punishment, like the death penalty.
In an emotional response, several victims’ families expressed gratitude to PM Modi, acknowledging the government’s support.
Talking to IANS, Atar Kaur, a victim of the violence said, “The Congress party did wrong. The honour of our daughters-in-law and daughters was stolen. My relative, Gurdeep Kaur, was murdered right before our eyes. The killing of Sikhs was not random; it was targeted. We haven’t received true justice for the atrocities we suffered.”
Mentioning Congress leader Rahul Gandhi she said: “He speaks of his grandmother Indira Gandhi’s assassination, but why can’t he understand the pain we endured? Memories of the riots still haunt us. Sajjan Kumar should have been hanged.”
Kuldeep Kaur also voiced her dissatisfaction with the verdict: “This decision is not in our favour. We hoped for Sajjan Kumar’s execution. He was protected under the Congress, but we want to thank PM Modi for ensuring he is punished. It is because of Modi’s government that justice was served. We will continue to fight for a harsher punishment and will knock on the court’s doors until Sajjan Kumar is hanged.”
Lakshmi Kaur also recalled the horrors she experienced: “Two of my family members were burnt alive. We can never forget the Congress government’s atrocities. Under PM Modi, we had hope for justice when no one listened to us before. We were left starving and without shelter for days. This stain on the Congress will never be erased.”
Atma Singh, from the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, called for more accountability, particularly from Congress leader Kamal Nath, saying, “Those who are guilty must be punished. If PM Modi’s government hadn’t come to power, Sajjan Kumar would never have been convicted. We owe our survival to the support of PM Modi. We were forced to beg for food for a year-and-a-half, and it all stemmed from the Congress government’s actions. We didn’t kill Indira Gandhi, then why were our families slaughtered?”
(IANS)
