Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri called the 1984 anti-Sikh riots the “darkest chapter” in independent India’s history.

October 31, 2025

New Delhi, October 31: Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri shared an emotional message on his official Twitter handle on the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He said that even today, he shudders at the memory of those horrific days when innocent Sikh men, women, and children were brutally murdered.

Puri wrote, “Today we are commemorating the anniversary of one of the darkest spots in independent India’s history. Those days of 1984 still shake my soul when innocent Sikhs were massacred and their homes, properties, and Gurudwaras were looted.”

Today we observe the anniversary of one of the darkest blots in the history of independent India.
I shudder even now when I recall those days of 1984 when helpless and innocent Sikh men, women and children were mindlessly massacred, and their properties and places of worship… pic.twitter.com/AzIfxG5o1v

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) October 31, 2025

He alleged that the massacre was orchestrated by Congress leaders and their associates, who attacked innocent Sikhs in the name of avenging the assassination of Indira Gandhi.

Puri said the police stood by as Sikhs were dragged from their homes, vehicles, and gurdwaras and burned alive. He wrote, “The protectors had become the destroyers; the state machinery had completely collapsed.”

The Union Minister said voter lists were used to identify Sikhs so their properties and homes could be targeted. No efforts were made to stop the violence for several days.

Puri also targeted former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, writing that his statement, “When a big tree falls, the earth shakes,” openly supported the massacre.

He said Congress leaders were seen leading mobs outside gurdwaras, while the police merely watched.

Puri wrote, “The institutions responsible for maintaining law and order lost their conscience and gave these leaders a free hand.”