AAP political response to 1984 massacre legacy

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress regarding their handling of the legacy of the 1984 Sikh massacre. The controversy follows the final bhog ceremony for Sajjan Kumar, a convicted individual in connection with the 1984 violence.

AAP Punjab Media In-charge Baltej Pannu alleged that while the BJP had previously criticized Congress leaders for their remarks about Kumar, three BJP Members of Parliament—Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Rambir Singh Bidhuri, and Yogender Chandolia—attended the ceremony. Pannu accused both major parties of failing to support families displaced by the 1984 violence.

Following these events, AAP organized protests across several Punjab cities, including Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, and Bathinda. Protesters condemned the participation of the BJP MPs, stating that honoring an individual associated with the massacre hurts the sentiments of the Sikh community. In Amritsar, protesters attempted to ‘gherao’ the residence of Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Chugh, leading to police deployment and the erection of barricades.