'Absolute lie, contradicts official records': HS Phoolka disputes Sonia Gandhi's account of the 1984 riots

BJP leader and senior advocate HS Phoolka has accused Congress leader Sonia Gandhi of attempting to absolve her family of responsibility for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots through her new memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love. He disputed her account of the Army's deployment in Delhi following Indira Gandhi's assassination, claiming it contradicted official records.

Phoolka, who has represented victims of the 1984 violence for decades, questioned Sonia Gandhi's account of a conversation between then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and Army chief General A S Vaidya.

"In the book written by Sonia Gandhi, she has attempted to grant a self-clean chit to her own family - even regarding the massacre of Sikhs. In her book, she claims that on the night of October 31st, Rajiv Gandhi instructed the Army Chief, General Vaidya, to call in the Army," Phoolka said.

"She asserts that General Vaidya himself decided against using the Army units stationed near Delhi - purportedly because they included Sikh soldiers - and instead ordered troops from further away, such as Dehradun. She suggests that this was General Vaidya’s personal decision, and that the resulting delay in the troops' arrival caused the delay in their deployment."

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Phoolka cites commission findings

Phoolka rejected the suggestion that troops stationed near Delhi could not have been deployed immediately. He cited findings of the Justice Ranganath Misra Commission, which investigated the violence following Indira Gandhi's assassination on October 31, 1984.

"This account is entirely contrary to the facts. Firstly, the claim that General Vaidya decided not to deploy Sikh soldiers - and that there were no other troops available near Delhi - is completely at odds with the facts. On October 31st and the morning of November 1st, there were 6,000 Army personnel available in Delhi," he said.

"The Mishra Commission noted that approximately 6,000 soldiers were present in the city, yet they were not deployed. Furthermore, the Mishra Commission stated that had even 5,000 of these soldiers been deployed to march through the streets of Delhi on the morning of November 1st, at least 2,000 Sikh lives could have been saved."

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Phoolka also referred to the Nanavati Commission while questioning the delay in deploying troops to control the violence.

He argued that the responsibility for requisitioning the Army rested with the civil administration rather than the Army chief acting independently.

"According to the Mishra Commission report, Rajiv Gandhi did alert General Vaidya; however, it is not the Army Chief’s role to unilaterally deploy the Army - that is the responsibility of the civil administration," he said.

"Moreover, the Mishra Commission noted that had those 5,000 soldiers - who were already present in Delhi on November 1st - been deployed, the lives of 2,000 Sikhs could have been saved."

Phoolka questioned what action Rajiv Gandhi took against officials who failed to call in the Army despite troops being available in Delhi.

"Now, Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister at the time. What action did Rajiv Gandhi take? If Rajiv Gandhi himself is not held responsible, then what action did he take against those who were responsible for these massacres of Sikhs - those who failed to call upon the army, which was readily available in Delhi on November 1st?" he asked.

He also referred to Rajiv Gandhi's widely criticised remarks following his mother's assassination.

"In his first speech - at his very first rally - Rajiv Gandhi remarked that 'when a big tree falls, the earth shakes.' In doing so, he essentially attempted to justify the entire massacre. And now, in her book, Sonia Gandhi attempts to absolve Rajiv Gandhi and their family. This stands in direct contradiction to the official record. It is an absolute lie," Phoolka alleged.

What Sonia Gandhi wrote in her memoir

In Belonging: A Journey of Love, Sonia Gandhi recounts the violence that followed Indira Gandhi's assassination and the difficulties faced by the administration in bringing it under control.

According to her account, General Vaidya received orders on the night of October 31, but nearby Army units were not immediately mobilised because they included Sikh soldiers. Troops were instead called from farther away, including Dehradun.

Gandhi also acknowledges that justice remained elusive for many victims and that Congress workers were among those accused of instigating or directing the violence.

The 1984 anti-Sikh riots broke out after Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards on October 31. Thousands of Sikhs were killed in the violence, with Delhi witnessing the worst of the killings.