Ahead of Punjab Assembly Elections, BJP Raises 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots During Rahul Gandhi's Sangrur Rally
The political exchange between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has intensified ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections scheduled for next year. On Wednesday, November 4, 2026, Rahul Gandhi addressed an election rally in Sangrur as part of the Congress campaign. On the same day, the BJP organized a conference in Chandigarh focusing on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
At the one-day conference, titled 'Zakhm 84 De', former Union Minister and BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad targeted the Congress and questioned why the Gandhi family had not apologized for a statement made by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in November 1984.
Addressing the conference in Chandigarh, Ravi Shankar Prasad raised the issue of the anti-Sikh violence that took place in 1984.
He said that even after 42 years, the suffering of the affected families had not ended. Several people lost family members during the violence, he said, adding that the Congress must answer questions about its responsibility in the matter.
Prasad asked Rahul Gandhi to explain his position on a statement made by his father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, in November 1984. He also demanded that the Gandhi family apologize to the country.
The BJP leader said Rahul Gandhi, who was campaigning in Punjab, should also respond to the questions raised by the families affected by the 1984 violence.
In his address, Ravi Shankar Prasad referred to Rajiv Gandhi's speech on November 19, 1984, in which he made the remark that when a big tree falls, the earth shakes.
The statement has remained controversial in the context of the anti-Sikh violence that followed the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in several areas, including Delhi.
Prasad alleged that the statement made at the time amounted to justifying the violence. He said the Congress leadership should clarify its position on the remark.
Prasad also recalled that, while serving as Information and Broadcasting Minister during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, he had attempted to make the recording of Rajiv Gandhi's speech available again in public archives.
The BJP maintains that the statement and the events that followed should not be forgotten.
At the conference, Ravi Shankar Prasad also accused the Congress of delaying investigations and legal proceedings in cases related to the 1984 violence.
Referring to leaders such as Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish Tytler and Kamal Nath, he alleged that the Congress had attempted to provide political protection to its leaders for a long period.
However, the legal status of cases involving these leaders has varied. Allegations against individuals must therefore be distinguished from offenses established by courts.
Prasad said successive Congress governments had constituted several commissions to investigate the violence, but affected families had to wait years for justice.
He also referred to the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the Narendra Modi government at the Center and the reinvestigation of old cases. He praised senior advocate HS Phoolka for his efforts in pursuing legal battles on behalf of the 1984 victims.
Rahul Gandhi visited Punjab's Sangrur on Wednesday as the Congress advanced its political campaign ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
At the rally, the Congress focused on issues concerning Punjab, the accountability of the state government and problems faced by the people.
Meanwhile, the BJP organized its conference on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Chandigarh on the same day. The two political programs brought different issues into focus ahead of the Assembly elections.
Ravi Shankar Prasad also questioned the timing of Congress programmes. He said November was associated with painful memories for families affected by the anti-Sikh violence and argued that the Congress should answer questions about its past political decisions and statements.
The BJP's 'Zakhm 84 De' conference began with an Ardas, followed by a photo exhibition documenting events related to the 1984 violence.
The exhibition featured photographs of houses set on fire in Delhi's Trilokpuri area, shops burnt in Connaught Place and families forced to leave their homes because of the violence.
Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon said more than 40 years had passed since the 1984 violence, but the families who lost their loved ones still found it difficult to forget those events. He said the demand for justice for the victims remained unresolved.
Dhillon also criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying that while Gandhi spoke about justice in Punjab, he should also answer questions concerning his family's political legacy.
BJP national spokesperson RP Singh also raised the issue of the affected families at the conference. He said the party would continue to demand justice for them.
Political activity in Punjab is increasing ahead of the Assembly elections. While the Congress is engaged in its electoral preparations, the BJP is raising questions about the 1984 violence and related cases, targeting the Congress.
No fresh response from Rahul Gandhi or the Congress regarding the statements made by BJP leaders was available at the time of reporting.