BJP-SAD politicising anti-Sikh riots issue for electoral gains: Cong

Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala was reacting to the findings of a sting operation carried out by a news portal

Congress today dragged the names of RSS, BJP and an election agent of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and hit out at BJP-SAD combine for politicising the issue for electoral gains in Lok Sabha polls.

"The names of many people had figured in the 1984 riots. Many leaders of RSS, BJP, Congress and various organisations were made accused in the case. Leaders of BJP, RSS and an election agent of Atal Bihari Vajpayee had also come under the lens of investigation besides some workers of Congress.

"Some of them have also been convicted while some are facing trial currently. The tragedy of 1984 was a sad and inhuman incident. Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have already expressed their anguish," Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala said.

He was reacting to the findings of a sting operation carried out by a news portal which today claimed the government had failed to take action to stop 1984 anti-Sikh riots and senior police officers "colluded" with the then government to teach Sikhs a "lesson".

Surjewala alleged that the issue is getting politicised in the atmospherics of election.

"SAD and BJP are trying to regain their lost ground. They seem to be rattled and trying to clutch even a straw to avoid defeat as both the parties are going to lose badly in Punjab," he said.

He said Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley of BJP, who is contesting from Amritsar and Shiromani Akali Dal chief Parkash Singh Badal, whose daughter-in-law Simranjit Kaur is contesting from Bhatinda are facing defeat and are hence raising this to recover lost ground.

"People of Punjab are far too wise to fall in this trap," he said.