Adhir Chowdhury calls flak for his 1984 riots post 'malicious campaign by heinous forces'

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, on Saturday, issued a justification after his contentious remark in connection with the 1984 Sikh riots on Rajiv Gandhi's death anniversary caused a massive uproar. He said that the tweet against his name on the Twitter account has nothing to do with his own observation. As per the Congress leader, it is a malicious campaign that is being propagated by those forces inimical to him and the Congress party. The Congress leader also stated that he is going to take legal action against the digital offender.

"There is a rumour being propagated that I have observed something today on the death anniversary of our beloved leader late Rajiv Gandhi. With all my conviction and humility of my command, I am formally saying that the tweet being quoted against my name is nothing but a malicious campaign being propagated by some heinous forces who are inimical towards me and my party. So, I am prosperously refuting the content of the text quoted against my name and today itself, I am going to take legal action against those offenders," Chowdhury said. 

Congress defends 1984 Sikh massacre

On the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, a Twitter post by Congress in connection with the 1984 Sikh riots has stirred major controversy. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary reportedly tweeted a picture of Rajiv Gandhi in which he posted a line that was told by the then Prime Minister in his speech, days after the Sikh massacre of 1984 in Delhi. Rajiv Gandhi, in his speech, had stated, “Jab bhi koi bada ped girta hai, to dharti thodi hilti hai. (When a big tree falls, the earth shakes)”. However, the Congress leader later deleted his post. As per estimates, more than 3,350 Sikhs were killed in the riots. 

Rajiv Gandhi's speech days after the 1984 Sikh massacre

After former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated on 31 October 1984 by her Sikh bodyguard, anti-Sikh riots broke out in the national capital, Delhi. Days after several innocent Sikhs were slaughtered, then PM Rajiv Gandhi had addressed thousands of people and attempted to justify the pogrom. 

During his speech, Rajiv Gandhi had said, "We should always remember Indira Gandhi Ji and also why she was killed. We also have to remember who were the people behind her assassination. There were riots that took place after Indira Ji was killed. We all are aware that there is a wave of anger among the people and youth of India. For a few days, people felt that India is shaking. However, when a big tree falls, the earth obviously shakes".

In 2021, the Delhi High Court convicted Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in the Sikh riots and held him guilty of murder, promoting enmity between groups and defiling public property. After his conviction, he resigned from the Congress party. Post his surrender before a trial court on 31 December 2018, the former Lok Sabha MP was sent to Tihar Jail. On September 3, the SC dismissed the interim bail plea filed by him on health grounds. 

(Image: PTI/ANI)