Congress must act against its leaders: Badal

Demanding strong action, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today joined the attack against Congress over Rahul Gandhi's "admission" that some Congress leaders were involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Badal asked the Congress vice-president what deterred his party and government from acting against those Congress men who were involved in the riots.

"Instead of taking any action against these tainted leaders, Congress has not only been protecting them but they were being rewarded by the party with pivotal posts," the Chief Minister alleged.

In an interview to a television channel, Rahul had admitted that "some Congress men were probably involved in 1984 anti-Sikh riots and they have been punished for it".

"Now, when Rahul has admitted, he owes an answer to the public as to why these Congress leaders have not been punished so far," Badal said.

He said the need of the hour was to take exemplary action against those involved in the riots so that succour could be provided to the victims' families.

Outrightly rejecting the demand of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the riots, Badal said several high-level inquiries had pointed toward the role of Congress leaders earlier.

Meanwhile, at a Sangat Darshan programme at Mansa, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal demanded apology from the UPA government.

"As Rahul has admitted the role of Congress leaders in the 1984 Sikh genocide at New Delhi and other parts of the country, now the Congress-led UPA government must apologise in Parliament," Sukhbir said.

Terming it as "most unfortunate and bigoted", he called on the Punjab Congress leaders to resign on moral grounds.