Sukhbir thanks Ontario Assembly for terming 1984 riots

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal today "thanked" the Legislative assembly of Ontario in Canada for recognising the anti-Sikh riots in 1984 as "genocide".
"We are grateful to the authorities and people of Ontario for this very touching gesture of compassion and solidarity. They have called this shameful chapter by its right name and they deserve our thanks. Every Indian, except those guilty of this tragedy, regards it as genocide," Sukhbir said.
The Legislative assembly of Ontario has passed a motion extending the official recognition to the 1984 riots as Sikh "genocide" in India, which has strongly rejected the move terming it as "misguided".

"There is no doubt about this in anyone's mind that the Congress planned and executed a genocide of Sikhs in 1984. Senior leaders of that party holding top positions in the Government of India actively facilitated, directed and even participated in this gruesome genocide," he alleged.
Sukhbir said the Sikhs and all "right thinking" people in the country and across the world are "grateful" to the BJP members who had "courageously come out in the streets during this genocide" to stand by and save their Sikh brethren.
"We now request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apply balm to the deep wounds of the Sikh community by personally intervening to ensure that the guilty of this genocide are not allowed to go scot-free any longer," he said.

Sukhbir also requested the Centre to formally acknowledge this "shameful massacre of Sikhs as genocide".

A motion by Harinder Malhi, a Liberal member of the provincial parliament in Canada, read, "That, in the opinion of this House... Should reaffirm our commitment to the values we cherish - justice, human rights and fairness - and condemn all forms of communal violence, hatred, hostility, prejudice, racism and intolerance in India and anywhere else in the world, including the 1984 Genocide perpetrated against the Sikhs throughout India, and call on all sides to embrace truth, justice and reconciliation."
Sukhbir also said there has been a significant and worrying increase in the number of "heinous acts of sacrilege" since the Congress came to power Punjab.

"I wish to remind those in power now that a vast majority of such cases which took place during SAD-BJP combine's rule had been quickly traced and dealt with. Only a few incidents proved to be difficult and defied probe," he claimed.
"Even in those cases, we had picked up significant leads and were on the verge of a breakthrough when elections were announced and the Government changed," the SAD president claimed.
"Before demitting office, we handed over these leads to the new government to make it easier for them to act quickly. But, they seem to be sitting lazily over these as they appear busy in other things like distributing loaves of office and profit," he alleged.

This has emboldened the dangerous elements. The government must act fast. The Congress had made tall claims of solving these cases within days of taking oath of office, Sukhbir said.
He said, "The present government seems to be totally casual and unconcerned about the gravity of the situation. It is both the moral duty and constitutional obligation of the present government to stop these acts and to resolve old cases.