New Delhi, November 1, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday described the 1984 anti-Sikh violence as “genocide” rather than a riot, alleging that the killings in Delhi were organised and targeted, and accusing the Congress government of the time of responsibility.
Addressing a gathering at the “1984 Sikh Genocide Protest March”, organised by the BJP in association with Sikh organisations, Puri said at least 2,733 people were killed in Delhi, while the official nationwide toll was approximately 3,325.
He argued that the violence could not be treated as clashes between two communities, claiming that attackers appeared to have advance information about the identities and addresses of Sikh families.
Recalling the events, Puri said he was posted in Geneva in 1984 while his parents were living in Delhi’s GDA Colony. He said Hindu friends had helped escort his parents to safety when the violence broke out.
He also recounted an incident involving a man named Manmohan Singh, whose residence was allegedly approached by a mob carrying a list of targeted Sikh households. According to Puri, the man’s Hindu son-in-law managed to convince the attackers that no Sikh lived there and protected those inside.
Puri said the term “riot” did not adequately describe the scale and one-sided nature of the killings. He said the Delhi High Court had, to the best of his recollection, also used expressions such as “crime against humanity” while referring to the violence.
The minister further questioned the timing of the INDIA bloc rally at Ramlila Maidan, asking why it had been scheduled for November 1, a date associated with the 1984 killings, when another day could have been chosen.
He said the Sikh community and the country had yet to fully come to terms with the tragedy and alleged that the Congress had not offered an appropriate apology to the victims.
Puri called for the events of 1984 to remain part of public memory and said the collective responsibility was to ensure that such violence never recurred in India or elsewhere.
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