Harsimrat asks Punjab Congress not to buckle under pressure of its high command and work against the cause of Punjab and Punjabis
Chandigarh: Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal today said the NDA Government had publically termed the 1984 mass murder of Sikhs as genocide and would continue to actively work to prosecute those behind this dastardly act even as she urged the Punjab Congress not to buckle under pressure of its high command and work against the cause of Punjab and Punjabis. In a statement here, Mrs Badal said the Ontario resolution was unaccceptable because it made critical references to India, particularly its human rights record and even questioned its democratic credentials. “India is a pluralistic society and constitutional guarantees have been put in place to protect its diverse nature. The Ontario resolution has tried to discredit the country completely in the eyes of the world by condemning communal violence, hatred, hostility, prejudice, racism and intolerance In India instead of focusing only on the 1984 mass murders”. Mrs Badal said the NDA government did not need a certificate from anyone, particularly the Congress party which had engineered the 1984 massacres following the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi. “The manner in which the Punjab Congress has reacted to Canadian Defence minister Harjit Singh Sajjan’s visit can be understood in this perspective. The party is obviously perturbed that it will identified as perpetrating this genocide worldwide and wants to discredit Mr Sajjan as well as other Punjabi representatives in the Ontario legislature who supported this motion. As a Sikh I am proud of the achievements of Mr Sajjan as well as the achievements of the entire Punjabi community in Canada. Punjab and India can also gain bilaterally due to this connection. The Punjab government is missing this opportunity by shunning Mr Sajjan”, she added. The Union minister said the initiatives taken by successive NDA governments to ensure justice to the 1984 massacre victims as well as bring those guilty to book were before the people. “Right from establishment of the Nanavati Commission by former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee to establishment of an SIT by the present government, reopening of 250 cases of violence against Sikhs, giving compensation to the victims and reopening CBI cases to asking for lie detector test for accused Jagdish Tytler, the NDA has done all this and more”. Mrs Badal also made it clear that she would continue to work relentlessly to ensure just punishment to all those behind the ’84 mass murders. “This is also a personal commitment as I have seen this tragedy up close. Even as I do my work I welcome all others who want to unite and ensure justice to the genocide victims”, she added. The Minister also asked the Punjab Congress to clarify its stand on the issue rather than making excuses to shield its high command from being identified as genocide perpetrators in the eyes of the world. “The Punjab Congress as well as the Punjab government should clarify its stand immediately. It should tell Punjabis whether it regards the ’84 killings as genocide or not”, she added.
