Senior BJP leadership will be in Chandigarh today to up the ante against Congress on the issue of Sikh massacre in the aftermath of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination in 1984.Leading the charge will be former law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad who will engage with victims of anti-Sikh riots in what the BJP is calling the healing effort.”The gathering will focus on revealing the truth behind the 1984 Sikh massacre. Victims will tell their stories of 42 years of legal battles and the process of rehabilitation. Many families who suffered tragedy and loss will gather in Chandigarh today to share their struggles,” BJP media leader and spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said.BJP national spokesperson RP Singh said the conclave would bring together survivors of the 1984 massacre, eyewitnesses, legal experts, former judges, community representatives and political leaders with the main objective to present the facts surrounding the massacre before the younger generation, share experiences from the prolonged struggle for justice and discuss initiatives undertaken for the rehabilitation of victim families.There will also be a photographic exhibition related to the 1984 Sikh massacre today at the same Chandigarh venue which will host the gathering.Bhandari said the conclave will feature former Union Minister and Lok Sabha MP Ravi Shankar Prasad’s keynote address as he had represented the victims of the 1984 massacre in several significant legal proceedings in the Supreme Court.Through the day, first-hand accounts and experiences of survivors and eyewitnesses of the massacre will be shared. Participants will include Nirpreet Kaur, a key witness in the case that led to the conviction of former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar; Jangsher Singh; Darshan Kaur; Satpal Kaur, a survivor-witness from Alwar; and Bibi Jagdish Kaur, who will join the session through a video address.In some of the cases, involving the above, convictions were secured, including that of Sajjan Kumar.A large number of senior BJP leaders, Sikh scholars, civil liberty activists and family members of the victims of the 1984 massacre from Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi are expected to participate in the conclave.


