BJP’s ‘Zakhm 84 De’ Conference challenges Rahul Gandhi to open debate on 1984 Sikh Riots
Ravi Shankar Prasad, Kewal Singh Dhillon and Satish Poonia question Congress’s role and demand answers for victims; survivors recount atrocities at Chandigarh event
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, November 4, 2026: The Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) organised a one-day conference titled ‘Zakhm 84 De’ in Chandigarh on Tuesday, where party leaders, legal experts and survivors of the 1984 anti-Sikh massacre questioned the delay in delivering justice and challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to an open debate on the role of his party and successive governments in the killings.
During the conference, speakers accused the Congress of failing to ensure justice for the victims and alleged that successive governments had protected those responsible. They also criticised Rahul Gandhi’s recent political engagements in Delhi and Punjab, arguing that his statements on democracy and justice must be accompanied by answers to the victims of 1984.
The conference featured six sessions covering the circumstances surrounding the massacre, the alleged conspiracy, the investigation and judicial process, and the experiences of survivors. Several victims shared accounts of killings, arson, looting and the prolonged struggle for justice and rehabilitation.
Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, addressing the inaugural session, described the 1984 massacre and Punjab’s drug problem as two major challenges facing the state.
“Today, Punjab’s conscience bears two deep scars—the wounds of 1984 and the agony caused by drugs. These wounds cannot heal until justice is delivered without compromise,” he said.
Targeting Rahul Gandhi, Prasad questioned the Congress’s political activities around the anniversary of the massacre and referred to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s controversial remark, “When a big tree falls, the earth shakes”, made on November 19, 1984.
Prasad described the statement as an attempt to justify the killings of Sikhs and asked Rahul Gandhi to clarify his position on his father’s remarks and whether his family had offered an apology to the victims.
He also alleged that the Congress had followed a policy of delaying and diverting investigations into the massacre. Referring to the investigations and convictions in cases related to the killings, Prasad credited the Narendra Modi-led government with constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and implementing recommendations that led to further action against those accused.
Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon paid tribute to the survivors and families of victims attending the conference. He said the wounds of 1984 should not be allowed to fade from public memory.
“A society that forgets its past also forgets its future. We have neither forgotten 1984 nor will we ever allow it to be forgotten,” Dhillon said.
He questioned Rahul Gandhi’s references to justice at political rallies, asserting that the Congress must answer for the suffering of the victims. He also said the BJP would continue its efforts to ensure that all those found guilty were brought to justice.
BJP in-charge for Punjab affairs Dr. Satish Poonia also challenged Rahul Gandhi to respond to the questions raised by survivors, particularly Bibi Nirpreet Kaur. He said a leader who speaks about democracy and justice should address the grievances of the families affected by the massacre.
Former AAP MP and senior advocate H.S. Phoolka, who has been associated with the legal struggle for the victims, recalled the efforts made by successive governments to pursue the cases. He referred to developments during the V.P. Singh government and the recommendations of the Nanavati Commission during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, including those concerning Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler.
Phoolka said legal proceedings had gained momentum during the Modi government, resulting in Sajjan Kumar’s life imprisonment and convictions in other cases. He added that proceedings against Tytler were still underway, while action concerning former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath remained pending.
Former Delhi High Court judge Justice Shiv Narayan Dhingra (Retd.) spoke about what he described as the failure of administrative, police and judicial institutions to ensure justice in the 1984 cases.
Addressing a session titled ‘Murder of Justice’, he alleged that the massacre was carried out under government patronage and that the handling of criminal cases during successive Congress governments had undermined the pursuit of justice.
During another session, titled ‘Was the 1984 Sikh Massacre a Conspiracy?’, former National Commission for Minorities chairman Tarlok Singh, speaking virtually, claimed that a conspiracy to organise the killings was hatched during a secret meeting in Delhi following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Former RAW Special Director G.B.S. Sidhu also spoke about the events surrounding the massacre and stated that the Delhi Police had been taken out of the charge of then Home Minister V.P. Singh. Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney shared his personal experiences of the violence.
The conference also heard testimonies from survivors, including Atma Singh Lubana, Bibi Nirpreet Kaur, Darshan Kaur, Satpal Kaur, Sonia Kaur and Jagsher Singh. They recounted their experiences of the killings and atrocities and reiterated their demand for justice. The accounts left several participants visibly emotional.
A photographic exhibition was also organised at the venue, displaying archival images of killings, arson, looting and destruction during the 1984 massacre. Panels featuring photographs and Punjabi captions documented the devastation in areas including Trilokpuri and Connaught Place in Delhi, showing burnt homes and shops, displaced families and survivors who had lost their belongings.
The proceedings were moderated by BJP national spokesperson R.P. Singh. Those present included Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon, Dr. Satish Poonia, Punjab BJP organisation general secretary Manthri Srinivasulu, Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney, former state BJP presidents Vijay Sampla, Manoranjan Kalia and Ashwani Sharma, state general secretaries Anil Sareen, Jeevan Garg and Rajnish Dhiman, state media head Vineet Joshi, Manjit Singh Rai and Iqbal Singh Lalpura, among other party leaders.