Anti-Sikh riots: Row over reference to Rajiv Gandhi as Delhi Assembly adopts resolution

The Delhi Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in which it was demanded that Bharat Ratna awarded to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi be withdrawn, but the AAP swiftly distanced itself from the reference to the Congress leader.

AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed the lines about the former prime minister were not part of the original text placed before the house and it was a handwritten amendment proposed by a member that cannot be passed in such a manner.

AAP MLA Jarnail Singh, while moving the resolution in the Assembly, had mentioned Rajiv Gandhi's name while reading the text and had demanded that the Bharat Ratna to the Congress leader be withdrawn for "justifying anti-Sikh riots".

But after Bhardwaj's remarks, Singh said it was only a technical shortcoming. He said though the reference to Gandhi in the resolution was not there in the written copies, it was made orally and passed by the House by voice vote.

The resolution called for speedy trial of the cases and termed anti Sikh riots as genocide.

The Congress reacted sharply with its Delhi chief Ajay Maken saying Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed his life for the country and the true colours of AAP which is the "B team of BJP" has come out in the open.

"Sh. Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed his life for the country.True colours of AAP have come out in the open! I have always believed that AAP is the B team of BJP!
After the developments in the Assembly, Bharadwaj tweeted,"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."
After Bharadwaj tweeted, Jarnail Singh said, "At the last moment Somnath Bharti (MLA) gave me the third point about Rajiv Gandhi. The technical issue is that the third point was not there in the copies distributed to the members of the House. But everything happened on record despite the technical shortcoming."