Delhi Assembly passes resolution demanding Rajiv Gandhi’s Bharat Ratna be withdrawn over 1984 riots
New Delhi, Dec 21: The Delhi Assembly Friday passed a resolution urging the Centre to withdraw the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award, from former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, alleging that he justified the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that followed the assassination of his mother and the then prime minister Indira Gandhi.
The Delhi government should “strongly” convey in writing to the Union Home Ministry (MHA) that justice continues to elude the families and near-dear ones of the victims of the worst “genocide” in the history of India’s national capital, the resolution said.
Gandhi was conferred with the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1991.
Previously, the BJP had also demanded that Gandhi be stripped off the award over his statements on the assassination of Indira Gandhi, which triggered the riots in 1984. In his first speech after the riots, Gandhi had said: “Whenever a big tree falls, the earth shakes”.
Earlier, senior Supreme Court advocate HS Phoolka had also said the Centre should withdraw the Bharat Ratna conferred on Gandhi as “he justified anti-Sikh 1984 riots,” adding that “such a PM doesn’t deserve to be given Bharat Ratna.”
Reversing a trial court order in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, Congress leader Sajjan Kumar was convicted and sentenced to life by the Delhi High Court on Monday. Former Congress councillor Balwan Khokhar, retired naval officer Captain Bhagmal, Girdhari Lal and two others were also held guilty in the case relating to the murder of five members of a Sikh family in Raj Nagar area of Delhi Cantonment on November 1, 1984.
The court, while sentencing Kumar, had noted: “The criminals responsible for the mass crimes have enjoyed political patronage and managed to evade prosecution and punishment.”
In November, the Patiala House Court in Delhi awarded death sentence to Yashpal Singh and handed another convict Naresh Sherawat life imprisonment for their role in 1984 anti-Sikh riots. This was the first conviction in five of the eight cases that were reopened and investigated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which was constituted in 2015.
While the Congress party has denied any role in the rampage, former prime minister Manmohan Singh recounted the remorse for the killings in a speech in the Parliament in 2005.
“I have no hesitation in apologising to the Sikh community (for the 1984 carnage)”, Singh had declared in the Rajya Sabha in response to an Opposition-sponsored motion demanding that the prime minister seek forgiveness from the country for the riots.
Delhi Assembly passes a resolution urging the Centre to take back India's highest civilian award 'Bharat Ratna' from late former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, alleging that he "justified" the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. @IndianExpress
— Sourav Roy Barman (@Sourav_RB) December 21, 2018
Courtesy: indianexpress.com
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
