Ahead of Delhi's municipal elections next month, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal on Tuesday announced they would hold a candlight protest on Friday over a 23-year delay in the trial of Congress leaders accused of involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
The move comes in the wake of the conviction of three men in connection with the violence that followed the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi.
"We want all political parties to join us in this protest at India Gate as those who authored the massacre are still free," SAD (Panthak) chief Manjit Singh told a joint news conference with leaders of Parkash Singh Badal's party.
The BJP, which had lost a number of Sikh-dominated constituencies in the last Assembly elections to the Congress, also came in support of the planned protest.
"We welcome Monday's convictions, but would like the big fish to be caught and punished for the gruesome killings of 1984. Our partymen will join the candlelight protest," senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra said separately.
SAD Delhi chief Avtar Singh Hit, an aide of Badal, flayed prosecuting agencies for their handling of complaints against Congress politicians accused of leading anti-Sikh mobs in 1984.
In January, Badal's party and SAD (Panthak), however, drew flak from the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee as they coopted to the religious administration a Sikh leader who had been summoned to the Akal Takht for having honoured Congress leader Jagdish Tytler facing allegations in connection with the 1984 riots. Both parties had lost the DSGMC elections the same month.
