India
BJP Criticises INDIA Bloc Rally as ‘Calculated Conspiracy’ on 1984 Sikh Riots Anniversary
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) condemned the Congress‑led INDIA bloc’s rally at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, accusing the opposition of creating political anarchy, disrupting small businesses and disrespecting Sikh sentiments by holding the march on the anniversary of the 1984 anti‑Sikh riots. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Rahul Gandhi had organised a major rally in Delhi on November 1, “effectively rubbing salt into the wounds of the riot victims,” and that the BJP had requested the event be postponed to avoid hurting Sikh communities. Shah added that the opposition had ignored repeated appeals from traders’ bodies.
Union Minister JP Nadda called the protest “not an act of respect for democracy but a calculated conspiracy to plunge the nation into anarchy.” He accused Rahul Gandhi of showing little concern for small traders and of attempting to paralyse Delhi during the festive season. Nadda also linked the march’s timing to the anniversary of the riots that began after Indira Gandhi’s assassination, describing November 1 as “the ugliest and darkest blot on India’s democratic history.”
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Congress, under Indira Gandhi’s leadership, had first subverted the Constitution and that those who accuse the government of “vote theft” were themselves “Constitution thieves.” BJP President Nitin Nabin criticised the opposition for undermining constitutional institutions after electoral defeats, while Union Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh warned that the rally was disrupting law and order.
BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan described the INDIA bloc’s ‘Chalo Delhi’ march as insensitive, stating that holding it on the 1984 Sikh massacre anniversary had deeply hurt Sikh sentiments.
In response, the BJP organised a protest march in the Hari Nagar area on Sunday, joined by Sikh community members, to oppose the Congress’s decision to hold a rally on the anniversary of the 1984 riots. BJP president Harsh Malhotra said the march aimed to counter the perceived harm to small businesses.
Rahul Gandhi countered that the BJP had forcibly shut down shops in Connaught Place during the rally, claiming this caused losses for traders. Congress MP Pawan Khera questioned the BJP’s double standards regarding public demonstrations and their impact on local commerce.
The statements were reported by various news agencies including PTI, ANI and HT.