Sikh protestors deface Rajiv Chowk signboard in Connaught Place area

A group of Sikh protestors on Wednesday defaced Rajiv Chowk signboard here in Connaught Place area while raising slogans against former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

The protestors also blackened the word 'Rajiv' on the signboard by spraying black paints. The group of protestors, comprising both men and women, also demanded that Rajiv Chowk is renamed after Shaheed Bhagat Singh.

"A Prime Minister of India represents all communities, be it Hindus, Muslims or Sikhs. We demand that considering Rajiv Gandhi's role in 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the Bharat Ratna award must be taken away from him, and should be conferred on Shaheed Bhagat Singh," demanded one of the protestors.

The Delhi High Court on December 17 convicted Congress leader and former Lok Sabha member Sajjan Kumar for his role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, sentencing him to life imprisonment.

Massive riots had erupted across the country after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her bodyguards in November 1984. As per the official records, around 2,800 Sikhs were killed across India, including 2,100 in Delhi, during the clashes.