Breaking: Amit Shah accuses Congress of insulting Sikh victims by holding Delhi rally
Home Minister invokes the 1984 anti-Sikh violence, criticises Rahul Gandhi and says people will respond in the 2029 elections
Ravi Jakhu
Chandigarh, November 1, 2026: Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a sharp attack on the Congress on Sunday, accusing the party of hurting the sentiments of the Sikh community by holding a rally in Delhi on November 1, the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh violence.
Referring to the killings that followed the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Shah alleged that thousands of Sikhs were brutally murdered in violence that he described as inspired by the Congress. He said many Sikh families lost their loved ones and women were widowed during the attacks.
Shah also referred to the statement attributed to then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi — “When a big tree falls, the earth shakes” — saying he had personally heard it on television.
Targeting Rahul Gandhi over the Congress rally in Delhi, Shah said his party had appealed to Congress leaders not to organise the event on a date that holds painful memories for Sikh families. He alleged that holding the rally on November 1 amounted to rubbing salt into the wounds of the victims.
“I strongly condemn these efforts of the Congress Party. The families of the victims will never forget this,” Shah said, adding that Rahul Gandhi’s political outreach would not win him the support of those who remember the 1984 violence.
The Home Minister also claimed that the Narendra Modi government had reopened cases related to the 1984 violence and that Congress leaders had been sent to jail in connection with them.
Taking another swipe at Rahul Gandhi, Shah criticised his initiative of holding a mock Parliament, suggesting that the Congress leader’s ambitions of becoming Prime Minister would remain confined to that exercise.
Shah further said that traders in Delhi had also appealed to the Congress not to hold the rally during the festive season.
On the political front, Shah challenged the Congress over its electoral performance in Delhi, claiming that the party had failed to win a seat in the last three Assembly elections. He predicted that it would remain unsuccessful in the next three elections as well and asked Congress leaders to prepare for another stint in the Opposition.
Turning to the issue of drugs, Shah said the government was committed to making Punjab and the entire country drug-free by December 31, 2029.
He concluded by saying that people were watching political developments and that the electoral contest in 2029 would provide an opportunity for them to respond to the Congress.