Embarrassing its alliance partner, the Shiromani Akali Dal on Monday urged the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre to “revisit” its stand on the Sikh genocide resolution adopted by the Ontario legislature in Canada.
One of the main constituent of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), SAD supported the recent resolution passed by the Ontario Provincial assembly in Canada officially recognizing 1984 anti-Sikh riots in India as “genocide”. It demanded that the riots, which took place 33 years ago, should be acknowledged as “genocide” by the Central Government.
The party, mincing no words, criticized the Union External Affairs Ministry for “rejecting” a motion adopted by the Assembly of Ontario in Canada, asking the government to “revisit” its stand.
The issue was reverberated in both the Houses of the Parliament as the Akali Dal members demanded that the External Affairs Ministry should withdraw its statement and the External Affairs Minister should make a statement in the Parliament.
While the party chief Sukhbir Badal also requested the Centre to “formally acknowledge” this “shameful massacre of Sikhs as genocide”, his wife and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal attempted to clarify that the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had already admitted incident as genocides, and Swaraj would clarify the issue on Tuesday.
Raising the issue in the Rajya Sabha, Akali leader Naresh Gujral asked the External Affairs Ministry to withdraw its statement rejecting the resolution.
SAD president Sukhbir, however, said that the widespread massacre of Sikhs in Delhi and some other parts of the country in November 1984 was “most certainly genocide of the community.”
“We are grateful to the authorities and the people of Ontario for this touching gesture of compassion and solidarity. They have called this shameful chapter by its right name and they deserve our gratitude. Every Indian, except those guilty of this tragedy, considers it genocide” he said.
SAD MP from Anandpur Sahib Prem Singh Chandumajra, raising the issue during zero hour in the lok Sabha, said that rather than condemning this resolution as “unfortunate and misleading” and seeking its withdrawal, the Parliament should pass similar resolution to assuage hurt feelings of the Sikhs.
SAD led Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has also urged Prime Minister Modi to review Centre’s stand on the Ontario resolution saying that in fact, it was a “planned genocide carried out at the instructions of one family of the country”.
HARSIMRAT ASKS CAPT TO CONVENE SPECIAl ASSEMBlY SESSION TO ADOPT SIMIlAR RESOlUTION
Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Badal on Monday asked Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to hold a special session of the Vidhan Sabha to adopt a similar resolution as done by the Ontario legislature declaring the mass murder of Sikhs following the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as genocide.
She said that the Punjab assembly resolution should capture the essence of the Ontario resolution which has called for “truth, justice and reconciliation” as this was essential to publicly expose those who conceived the genocide as well as the perpetrators.
The Union minister said it was also incumbent on Capt Amarinder Singh to clarify his stand on the issue as he had come out with a statement giving a clean chit to Jagdish Tytler in the run up to the last parliamentary elections. “This despite the fact that Tytler's role in the mass violence is well documented in police records,” she added.