Delhi Assembly passes resolution demanding withdrawal of Bharat Ratna to Rajiv Gandhi

The Delhi Legislative Assembly on Friday passed a resolution demanding that the country's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna awarded to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi be withdrawn over 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

"Delhi Assembly today declared 1984 anti-Sikh riots as worst genocide in the history of India's national capital. In a resolution that has been passed today we have demanded from the Centre that Bharat Ratna should be withdrawn from former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi," said AAP MLA Jarnail Singh.

The resolution was moved by Singh and was passed by a voice vote in the House condemning the 1984 anti-Sikh riots which the AAP termed as "genocide". The resolution further stated that the Delhi government should strongly convey in writing to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs that justice continues to elude the families and near-dear ones of the victims of the worst genocide in the history of India's national capital.

The Delhi Assembly also directed the government to convey in writing to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs that justice continues to elude the families of the victims the "worst genocide in the history of India's national capital". The House also directed the government 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 Delhi High Court of Delhi in its recent judgment sentencing Congress leader Sajjan Kumar and other convicts to life imprisonment.

Meanwhile, AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said that 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."

AAP leader Somnath Bharti confirmed that the line on Rajiv Gandhi was not the part of original resolution distributed to MLAs but was added later after his suggestion."In connection with a dispute about a line on Rajiv Gandhi in the resolution passed in assembly today, I confirm that the line was not part of original resolution distributed to MLAs and it was me who suggested the line as an amendment and passed on to Jarnail Singh Ji," he added.

Rajiv Gandhi, who took over the reins of the party and the government following his mother, Indira Gandhi's demise was posthumously awarded Bharat Ratna in 1991.