The Delhi Assembly on Friday demanded that the country’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, be taken back from late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi for his comments that tried to “justify” the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Terming the riots a genocide, the Assembly also passed a resolution to “impress upon” the Ministry of Home Affairs to take “all important and necessary steps” to specifically include crimes against humanity and genocide in India’s domestic criminal laws.
The resolution, moved by Tilak Nagar Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Jarnail Singh, further sought to direct the Delhi government to “strongly convey” in writing to the MHA that justice continued to elude the families of the victims of the “worst genocide in the history of India’s national capital”.
The demand to recall the honour for the late PM for his remark “...whenever a big tree falls the ground shakes a little...” was made by AAP Malviya Nagar MLA Somnath Bharti during discussion on the issue prior to the reading of the resolution by Mr. Singh, who added the demand towards the conclusion of the resolution.
“This House directs the Government of NCT of Delhi to impress upon the MHA that it should take all important and necessary steps to specifically include crimes against humanity and genocide in India’s domestic criminal laws, as recommended by the honourable High Court of Delhi in its recent landmark judgment sentencing Sajjan Kumar and other convicts to life imprisonment,” the resolution, which was unanimously adopted, stated.
The House also resolved to set up special fast-track courts for “quick and time bound trials” in all pending 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases.
‘Not part of resolution’
In relation to the comments on Mr. Gandhi, AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said on Twitter: “Lines about Late Rajiv Gandhi were not part of resolution placed before house and distributed to the members. One MLA in his handwriting proposed an addition/amendment about Late Rajiv Gandhi. Amendments cannot be passed in this manner.[sic]”
Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken took to Twitter in defence of Mr. Gandhi: “Sh. Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed his life for the country.True colours of AAP have come out in the open! I have always believed that AAP is the B team of BJP! AAP fielded candidates in Goa,Punjab,MP, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh just to cut the votes of Congress and help the BJP [sic.]”.