1984 riots will be an issue in LS polls: Sukhbir

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday said his party would rake up the 1984 anti-Sikh riots issue during the Lok Sabha polls.

“The 1984 riots will be an issue which will be raked up by SAD,” he told reporters here.“SAD will keep raking up this issue till family members of the victims get justice,” he said.

When asked about former Congress MP Jagdish Tytler withdrawing his nomination from the ‘primaries’ for the Northeast Delhi Lok Sabha seat on Thursday, Sukhbir said it was a ‘drama’ enacted by Congress.

“Everybody knows that Tytler was one of the culprits in the 1984 riots,” he said, adding that “Congress had always defended him (Tytler).”

SAD had earlier announced that the main plank of the party for the polls will be development. Taking a dig at Punjab Congress Chief Partap Singh Bajwa, he said “Bajwa had been rejected by the entire Congress leadership in Punjab.”

On Peoples Party of Punjab (PPP) supremo Manpreet Singh Badal’s declaration to contest against sitting SAD MP and his wife Harsimart Kaur from Bathinda, Sukhbir said, “Earlier, Manpreet’s father had contested against Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in the Assembly polls and lost badly.”

Harsimrat is seeking re-election from Bathinda. He dismissed contention that certain Akali leaders feel dejected due to Congressmen joining SAD.