Shah says BJP won't spare '84 riots culprits; slams Amarinder, Sidhu

Crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "ensuring justice" to the families of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims, BJP chief Amit Shah Sunday said the culprits behind the pogrom will not be spared and attacked the Amarinder Singh-led government in Punjab for "failing" to honour its poll promises.

Addressing a rally in favour of BJP candidate and actor Sunny Deol, contesting from Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency, Shah also attacked Punjab minister and former BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu for his remarks after Pulwama attack, asking him to shift to Pakistan.

"Thousands of Sikhs were killed in 1984 and nobody was punished ever since. But after Modi government was formed, justice was delivered to families of the victims," Shah said.

"Those who were involved (in the riots) and whether they are in Jabalpur, Kanpur or Delhi, they will be sent to jail," he added.

He said Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, a three-time MP, was imprisoned because of the report prepared by the Special Investigation Team, formed by Modi, who probed the riots.

"So far, just one (Kumar) has been jailed but there is a long list. The BJP government will never spare those who committed this sin," he said.

"I want to ask Captain sahib (Amarinder Singh), you want to be representative of the Sikh community. But your party leader (Kumar) was made MP thrice. Where were you at that time? Just tell the people of Punjab," he asked.

He highlighted Sidhu's comment following the Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed that terrorism had no religion or country and asked the Punjab chief minister if he shared the cricketer turned politician's views.

"He (Amarinder) made Sidhu ji, who had hugged Pakistan Army chief, a minister. Captain Sahib (Amarinder) you should be ashamed of yourself," Shah said.

"Pakistan terrorists were behind the Pulwama terror attack but your minister (Sidhu) said terrorism had no country. Bhaiya Sidhu, if you really like Pakistan then you should shift to the other (Pakistan) Punjab," Shah said, adding that Amarinder Singh should tell the people of Punjab whether he support Sidhu's remarks.

Lambasting the two-year-old Congress government in Punjab, Shah accused Amarinder Singh of failing to keep poll promises like giving jobs and ending the menace of drugs.

"Has any loan has been waived off? He (Amarinder) had promised to wipe out drugs. That hasn't happened, rather the supply of drugs has increased. Has he given jobs, smart phones, unemployment allowance of Rs 2,500," he asked.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) further charged the Amarinder Singh government of stalling development projects and welfare schemes in the state.

Taking on Congress president Rahul Gandhi for asking what the saffron party had done for Punjab during its tenure at the Centre, Shah said the Congress ruled the country for 55 years but did not do anything for the welfare of the state.

Shah informed the gathering that when the Congress government was in power, the 13th Finance Commission had allocated Rs 30,157 crore for Punjab.

But Modi government allocated Rs 1.61 lakh crore in five years, Rs 45,000 crore for national highway, Rs 1500 crore for food processing and Rs 1,000 crore for AIIMS, he said.

Praising the prime minister for working 18 hours a day for the country's poor, Dalits and farmers, Shah said the Congress chief, after the onset of summer season, goes abroad for vacation.

"Congress never worked for Punjab's development. It was only when SAD-BJP was in power, Punjab progressed," said Shah who was flanked by SAD chief Sukhbir Badal, Punjab BJP Chief Shwait Malik, among others.

Calling the Akali stalwart a "pious personality", Shah said Punjab developed under his leadership unlike the incumbent chief minister who "just rests".

Asking the gathering to vote for Deol, the BJP chief remembered former BJP MP from Gurdaspur and veteran actor Vinod Khanna.

He assured the people that Deol will realise the dream of Khanna who had represented the constituency four times.