Withdraw Bharat Ratna conferred on Rajiv Gandhi: Sukhbir Singh Badal

The Bharat Ratna conferred on former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi posthumously in 1991 be withdrawn immediately with new evidence proving that he did not allow the army to be deputed in the national capital to stop the genocide being perpetrated on the Sikhs because his family was behind this dastardly act, said Shirom Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday in a statement.

The SAD president said the disclosure of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has vindicated the SAD's stand that the 1984 massacre could have been averted had Rajiv Gandhi heeded appeals to let the army be called in to tackle arsonists led by Congress party leaders, who systematically targeted the lives and properties of Sikhs.

Badal said that besides Dr Singh's statement the records of the Union Home Ministry also showed that the decision to not call in the army had taken place at a meeting presided over by Rajiv Gandhi.

"The entire Sikh community is agitated that a person, who planned the massacre of thousands of Sikhs, oversaw it and even prevented any reprieve to the community despite pleas should continue to retain the highest civilian award of the country even posthumously. This injustice must be corrected and I appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw this honour from Rajiv Gandhi expeditiously," he said.

The SAD president said a case should also be registered against Rajiv Gandhi posthumously as well as all others involved in preventing the army from entering Delhi to put an end to the looting and killing being done by Congress goons.

"Political appointees, as well as bureaucrats responsible for this criminality, should be awarded exemplary punishment to set an example for future generations that no one could indulge in such barbarity and get away with it".

Badal also appealed to the Union government to erase Rajiv Gandhi's name from all roads, airports, institutions and government schemes immediately.

"The country cannot and should not honour someone who has indulged in butchery," the SAD president said, adding all the landmarks and schemes could be renamed to honour martyrs like Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Shaheed Udham Singh who deserved this honour rightfully".

He said all these steps were in consonance with the sentiments of the Sikh community and would provide rightful closure to the suffering of the victims of the 1984 carnage.

Asserting that chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh should also tell why he was still silent and protecting the Gandhi family even after Dr Manmohan Singh had indicted it for not calling in the army to save the lives of Sikhs set upon by Congress goons.

"It appears being in the good books of the Gandhi family and saving your chair is more important to you than standing up with your community and demanding exemplary punishment for those who conducted genocide against it," added Badal.

( With inputs from ANI )