Anger and outrage over Congress leader Sajjan Kumar's acquittal in an 1984 anti-Sikh riots case poured into Delhi streets for fourth day today, with one of the riot victims starting an indefinite fast while scores of people blocked a busy road triggering huge traffic snarl.
While riot victim Nirpreet Kaur began an indefinite fast at Jantar Mantar, riot-affected families blocked the busy Mathura Road near Nizamuddin in south Delhi this morning. The blockade led to a huge traffic pile up on the road which connects south Delhi to the heart of the capital.
Aam Aadmi Party leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Kumar Vishwas along with their supporters also joined Kaur's protest while local BJP leader Vijender Gupta had to leave the venue after some people objected to his presence.
The AAP leaders sat on a one-day fast to express solidarity with the protesters.
On the Mathura Road, a large number of protesters squatted and shouted slogans against the UPA government and Congress, blocking traffic on the road.
Commuters were put to hardship due to the protest for which police had deployed a large number of personnel to maintain calm. Rapid Action Force was also deployed in large numbers.
At the fast venue, Kaur said the riot-affected families had expected that they would get justice but the verdict given by the court had "shaken" their faith in the system.
She demanded that a Special Investigation Team be constituted which would investigate the case independently.
Kaur also demanded an appeal be filed in a higher court against the acquittal of Kumar, and that the case be heard and decided in three months time.
"I lost my father during the riots. In 1984, more than 10,000 Sikhs were murdered. Our judiciary failed to do justice even after 29 years," Kaur claimed.
Another victim, who was 14-year-old when the riots happened, shared her experiences. "We took shelter in a Hindu family's house. I still remember how we had to shave off our heads so that nobody can recognise that we are Sikhs," Jamshed Singh said.
