Rights group seeks Congress leaders' prosecution for anti Sikh riots
Thursday, 28 April 2011, 00:16 IST
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New York: Human Rights Watch (HRW) has demanded prosecution of leaders of India's Congress party leaders who were allegedly involved in organising attacks on Sikhs during November 1984. After the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi, Sikhs were attacked and killed "with the complicity of senior members of Gandhi's then-ruling Congress party," said HRW South Asia director Meenakshi Ganguly. "Although there is evidence that at least some of the attacks were orchestrated by senior political figures, none have yet been convicted for the 1984 killings," she alleged. "The discovery of more Sikh massacre victims after nearly three decades shows the reluctance of successive Indian governments, despite numerous commissions of inquiry, to get to the truth and prosecute those responsible for the anti-Sikh violence," Ganguly said. Referring to the recent discovery of mass graves in Hondh-Chillar, Haryana, she said: "The Haryana massacre is a reminder that India needs a law that will provide maximum protection against orchestrated attacks on minorities." "The government should listen to all suggestions that could strengthen the communal violence bill so that these outrages never happen again." "HRW's statement demanding prosecution of Congress party leaders supports the case of victims of November 1984 against Congress party and its leaders," said Gurpatwant Singh Pannun legal advisor to Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a community group. A case against Congress party has been filed in a New York court by the US based SFJ along with several Sikh individuals from different states and cities of India who witnessed and survived attacks in November 1984.
Source: IANS
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