New Delhi: Senior lawyer H S Phoolka, who is fighting for justice to the victims of anti-Sikh riots, made scathing attack on the BJP-led NDA government particularly on its constituent Shiromani Akali Dal over clean chit was given to Jagdish Tytler by the CBI in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. Accusing the Modi government of changing its stand on the Sikh riots, Phoolka said justice is still eluding to the riots victims.
Addressing media persons here on the eve of the 31st anniversary of the genocide of Sikhs in 1984, Phoolka said Akali Dal should explain to the people why it is silent on the CBI’s clean chit to Tytler.
“It is unfortunate that 31 years have been passed to the Sikh riots but not a single person was brought to justice as victims are fast losing faith in the justice system”.
In response to question of this correspondent, he said the CBI is working under the political influence to save the culprits of Sikh riots. He even alleged that the judiciary is also not responding to their pleas.
It is to be mentioned that the riot victims have filed a protest petition against the clean chit given thrice to Tytler by the CBI, claiming there was ample evidence to prosecute him and accused the agency of favouring him.
CBI on Friday told a Delhi court that arms dealer Abhishek Verma was not a “credible witness” and on the basis of his statement, no case of influencing witness and making hawala transactions can be lodged against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler. It described Tytler as “innocent” and said it cannot “falsely implicate an innocent person” merely on the basis of charged sentiments and to satisfy the ego of some. The court has reserved the order for November 17 on whether to accept the closure report giving a clean chit to Mr Tytler.
Besides Phoolka, host of leaders of other organizations also addressed the media saying no one has been punished for the brutal murder in broad daylight of over 10,000 innocent people, the rape of women and girls, and the widespread destruction of property during the 1984 riots.
They said ten governments have come and gone in this period. Ten Commissions of Enquiry have submitted their reports. Till today, no government has accepted that it was the Indian state that organized the genocide.
“The people of our country, belonging to all faiths and all regions, have been fighting ceaselessly for more than thirty years to ensure that the truth behind the carnage of 1984 be placed by the government of India before the people of our country, and those guilty of organizing it be punished. We have been demanding that mechanisms be established to ensure that such acts of state terrorism can never again be organized.
Entire experience since the end of British colonial rule proved that no matter how many times parties change places in this system, the violence of the State against citizens has only grown from bad to worse. This shows that the root of the problem lies in the very foundation of the State we inherited in 1947.”
They announced that more than 35 organisations will hold a massive protest rally on November 1 in Delhi to condemn state terrorism of 1984.
The rally is being organized by Lok Raj Sangathan along with several other organisations. Hundreds of people will march from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar demanding that the guilty of 1984 must be punished and calling on the people to unite to defend the right to conscience and end state-organised communal and fascist terror.
More than 35 organisations will join in the rally including Lok Raj Sangathan, Social Democratic Party of India,Sikh Forum,Communist Ghadar Party of India, INSAF, NayaDaur Party, Purogami Mahila Sangathan, Hind Naujawan Ekta Sabha, Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign, SikhiSidak, Citizens for Democracy, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, United Muslims Front, MazdoorEkta Committee, Student Islamic Organisation, Nishant NatyaManch, Sikh Youth Forum, CPIML (New Proletarian), Association for Protection of Civil Rights, Ulema Council of India, Bibek Trust, Delhi Shramik Sangathan, All-India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushwarat, Nagarik Parishad, National Confederation of Human Rights Organisations (NCHRO) and others.
Many prominent personalities from all over the country who have been fighting for human rights against state terrorism and state organized genocides will address the rally.