Hardeep Puri, Rekha Gupta Lead BJP March Against Congress Over 1984 Anti-Sikh Violence

November 1, 2026

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday, November 1, held a protest march in West Delhi’s Hari Nagar, demanding an apology from the Congress and Rahul Gandhi over the 1984 anti-Sikh violence. The march was organised on the day the INDIA bloc held its ‘Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao’ rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri led the protest, which was joined by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra, Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa and senior advocate HS Phoolka. Several Sikh leaders and members of the community also participated.

The protesters marched from the Sikh-majority areas of Hari Nagar towards Tilak Nagar, raising slogans against the Congress and demanding an apology for the killings of Sikhs in 1984. Many participants wore black headbands as a mark of protest.

Hardeep Singh Puri Calls 1984 Violence a ‘Well-Planned Massacre’

Addressing the protesters, Puri described the 1984 killings as a planned massacre rather than a spontaneous outbreak of violence. Citing official figures, he said 2,733 Sikhs were killed in Delhi during the violence.

Puri also recalled that he was in Geneva when the violence broke out in 1984 and that his Hindu friends helped protect his parents, who were living in Delhi at the time.

He said the preparations behind the attacks showed that the violence was not spontaneous and questioned why the Congress had not properly apologised to the Sikh community.

Puri also criticised the INDIA bloc for choosing November 1 for its rally, saying the wounds of the 1984 violence remained fresh. He argued that the killings should be remembered to ensure that such incidents never happen again.

Rekha Gupta Accuses Congress of Hurting Sikh Sentiments

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also criticised Rahul Gandhi and the Congress over the INDIA bloc’s rally. In a post on X, she accused the Opposition of creating an atmosphere of political unrest in the name of democracy.

Recalling November 1, 1984, Gupta said the date represented one of the darkest chapters in Delhi’s history, when Sikh families were attacked and thousands of people lost their lives.

She also recalled how a Sikh neighbour had taken shelter at her parents’ home during the violence. Gupta said the suffering of the Sikh community could not be forgotten and accused the Congress of failing to acknowledge its responsibility.

In another message, the Chief Minister alleged that Congress was attempting to use the language of democracy to cover up the events of 1984. She also accused Rahul Gandhi of putting the livelihoods of Delhi’s traders at risk through political demonstrations and traffic disruptions during the festive season.

“Congress cannot erase the stain of 1984 by invoking the name of democracy,” Gupta said.

Harsh Malhotra, BJP Leaders Target INDIA Bloc Rally

Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra said the Congress had hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community by organising a political rally on the anniversary of the 1984 violence.

He also criticised the INDIA bloc’s ‘Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod’ campaign, claiming that the Opposition’s allegations surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls had failed to gain public support.

Malhotra called on Rahul Gandhi and the Congress to apologise to the Sikh community as well as Delhi’s business community. He also alleged that the rally had caused concern among traders over possible traffic congestion and disruption to business.

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor also targeted the Congress, claiming that the Ramlila Maidan rally had failed to attract the large crowds projected by the Opposition. He said the party had predicted that the gathering would fall short of the Congress’s expectations and accused it of repeatedly attempting to politically relaunch Rahul Gandhi.

The BJP leaders’ criticism came as the INDIA bloc held its separate rally at Ramlila Maidan, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in voter-list revision. The two demonstrations brought the political disagreement over the SIR exercise and the 1984 anti-Sikh violence into focus in the national capital.