What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
The BJP on Monday demanded the formation of a Truth Commission to disentangle the truth of the 1984 anti-Sikh massacre and probe the role of “high and mighty” in the horrific incident that still continues to haunt us. A demand for immediate declassification of documents related to the period leading up to the 1984 Operation Blue Star and the subsequent Sikh massacre has been made BJP National Spokesperson RP Singh.
Singh referred to the Justice Dhingra Commission report that flags an “invisible hand that orchestrated the massacre” and said only declassification of documents and a Truth Commission can unravel the whole truth.
The letter written on the eve of 38th anniversary of the anti Sikh riots stated, “Request to Home Minister to declassify all documents relating to 1984 Pogrom and Operation Blue Star and form a ‘Truth Commission’ to expose the conspiracy and nail the real culprits.” Singh said in his letter that there were a lot of classified documents which would provide details of how the then home minister overlooked the carnage.
Speaking to The New Indian, Singh said, “There is a conspiracy that happened. We are requesting the government to unveil that conspiracy. That’s why we are asking the government to declassify the documents of that time. IK Gujaral is on record saying that he went to the Home Minister Narasimha Rao requesting him to get the army in and Rao said he can’t get the army. It clearly shows that there was someone else who was planning and executing the whole thing.”
Singh said that the 1984 massacre was planned much ahead to win the 8th Lok Sabha elections scheduled for December that year. He claims that often 1984 riots are seen in the light of a repercussion of Indira Gandhi’s assassination but the reality is it was done to win election, and the assassination of then PM was merely incidental and acted as the immediate trigger.
Watch the whole interview here:
"Sikh massacre would have happened even if Indira Gandhi hadn't been assassinated"
"Operation Blue Star was planned to win elections"
"All documents of that period should be declassified," says @rpsinghkhalsa in an exclusive interview with @TheNewIndian_in 's @joymalabagchi pic.twitter.com/6bVi10Z1EP
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) October 31, 2022
“The declassification will aid in unlocking and bringing to the fore the invisible hand which finds a mention in the Justice Dhingra report, behind the conspiracies. One of the notes written by RN Kao, then security adviser to Indira Gandhi, is in the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library and pertains to Gandhi’s assassination. This also needs to be declassified,” the letter says.
Singh noted that a lot needs to come into public domain regarding 1984 for which the formation of a Truth Commission was needed “so that members of 1, Akbar Road team, who conceived and executed the 1984 operation Blue Star and the anti-Sikh pogrom of November 1984 in Delhi and other cities for electoral gains should be exposed. The list includes leaders like Arun Singh and Kamal Nath who worked under the instructions of Sanjay Gandhi and later Rajiv Gandhi. Even the police officers of that time Gautam Kaul, Nikhil Kumar and Maxwell Pereira should be brought under the ambit of this Commission as should journalists like Sanjay Suri and others. Tarlochan Singh, OSD to then President Giani Zail Singh should be asked to share details of what transpired between the president and then government, home minister in specific,” said RP Singh.
The BJP leader said 38 years had elapsed since the 1984 carnage and a “modicum of justice” was received after a key conspirator and Congress leader Sajjan Kumar was sentenced and sent behind bars. He said that over 38 years, four enquiry commissions, nine committees and two special investigation teams have been formed and still they have failed to dig deep and reveal the real conspiracies.
“It is a well-known fact that there was a separate team functioning and monitoring from 1, Akbar Road, which was above the government and this fact was proven true during the first week of November as the carnage unfolded and then home minister Narsimha Rao expressed helplessness and inability to IK Gujral when the latter met him and urged him to call the army to bring the situation under control,” Singh said.
Here’s a copy of his letter to the Home Minister.
