Sikh Forum opposes Congress,
ready to campaign for BJP
The Sikh Forum today accused the Congress of being insensitive to the victims of the 1984 riots in the capital.
Forum president Lieutenant General (retired) Jagjit Singh Aurora, a hero of the Bangladesh war, said, "Leaders like H K L Bhagat, Sajjan Kumar, and Jagdish Tytler, despite allegations of their involvement in the riots, are very active in the organisational set-up of the Congress."
He said the forum would try to thwart the attempts of the Congress to come to power in Delhi.
Though Congress president Sonia Gandhi has expressed unhappiness over the killings, "this is not enough", he said. "None of the Congress leaders has really apologised for the happenings."
Justice (retired) R S Narula said though the BJP had been unable to fulfil all the promises made to the Sikhs in the last assembly election in 1993, it had taken some steps in that direction.
The forum's demands put forward before the BJP leadership are expeditious punishment to the guilty in the 1984 riots, an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the alleged involvement of politicians and police officers, payment of enhanced compensation to all victims within two months as per the Delhi high court's order, introduction of Punjabi as a second language within three months, exemption of Sikh women from wearing helmets on two-wheelers, and establishment of a Guru Tegh Bahadur chair in the University of Delhi.
Asked if the forum would participate in the BJP's election campaign, Dr Mahim Singh said, "If the BJP leadership so wishes, we will render all possible help during campaigning."
UNI
Assembly Elections '98
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