New Delhi, Nov 10 — Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Tuesday criticised the Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi over her account of the 1984 anti-Sikh massacre in her memoir 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', accusing the former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi of responsibility for the violence and alleging that Congress leaders accused of involvement were rewarded with political positions.
Reacting to the release of the memoir, Sirsa disputed Sonia Gandhi's claim that Rajiv Gandhi was deeply saddened and distressed after the anti-Sikh violence.
"Sonia Gandhi's statement that Rajiv Gandhi was deeply saddened and distressed after the 1984 anti-Sikh massacre is false. She may be making these claims out of a sense of moral responsibility as his wife, but Rajiv Gandhi was responsible for what happened," the Delhi Minister said.
He referred to Rajiv Gandhi's widely cited remark following the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, saying, "He had addressed a large gathering at the Boat Club and said, 'When a big tree falls, the earth shakes.' In fact, he had also justified the massacre."
Sirsa also alleged that the Congress leadership rewarded those accused of involvement in the violence instead of holding them accountable.
"Sonia Gandhi is talking about shedding tears, but the truth is Rajiv Gandhi rewarded the people who massacred Sikhs. He awarded them seats in his Cabinet and positions of Chief Ministers in his government," he said.
Naming Kamal Nath, Sajjan Kumar, H.K.L. Bhagat and Dharam Dass Shastri, Sirsa alleged that they gained political power despite accusations linked to the violence.
"People like Kamal Nath, Sajjan Kumar, HKL Bhagat, and Dharam Dass Shastri ruled in the country because they gained power through massacring the Sikhs," he said.
Sirsa also rejected accounts suggesting that Indira Gandhi had expressed grief after the military operation at Sri Darbar Sahib, commonly known as the Golden Temple, in Amritsar in June 1984.
"She did not have any sorrow; rather, it was a structured, planned attack," he alleged.
Accusing the Gandhi family of disrespecting Sikh religious institutions, Sirsa said, "Indira Gandhi disregarded the Sri Akal Takht, insulted it, and led a shootout at Sri Darbar Sahib. They also shot at the Guru Granth Sahib."
"The Gandhi family committed the eternal sin of attacking the Guru Granth Sahib. Their false tears are not going to make up for the atrocities they committed on the Sikh community. They have the blood of thousands on their hands," he added.
Sirsa also questioned the purpose of revisiting these events through a memoir, alleging that the book reflected an attempt by the Congress to fulfil what he described as a false sense of responsibility.
"Writing a book on the past events is a false sense of responsibility which the Congress is fulfilling; the nation understands that," he said.
The 1984 anti-Sikh violence followed the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984.
Thousands of Sikhs were killed in attacks across several parts of the country, particularly in Delhi.
The violence and the alleged role of political leaders and officials have remained a subject of legal proceedings and political controversy.