Anti-Sikh riots was "biggest lynching" incident: Rajnath Singh on opposition's attack over lynching incidents

The minister said the government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and assured that justice would be given to the Sikh community.

New Delhi: Home Minister Rajnath Singh countered the opposition’s attack on BJP-led government over the instances of mob-lynching by dubbing the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as the ‘biggest incident of mob lynching’. The opposition cited mob-lynching as one of the reasons during the debate on the no-confidence motion, to which Singh replied: “The biggest incident of the mob-lynching happened during 1984.” He was referring to the anti-Sikh riot that took place after the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's assassination in October 1984. The minister said the government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and assured that justice would be given to the Sikh community.

Mob lynching incidents are very unfortunate and I asked state governments to make strictest of laws against it but I would like tell people who are raising these issues that the biggest case of mob lynching happened during 1984 Sikh genocide: Union Minister Rajnath Singh in LS pic.twitter.com/Gll6GEV0Xk

— ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2018

He said that the Centre will provide whatever assistance required but the state governments should take stringent steps to curb such incidents. Speaking on the opposition-sponsored no-confidence motion, Singh said the opposition had doubt about who will be the leader and what will the policies be. Hitting out at Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's 'Hindu Pakistan' remark, the senior BJP leader said, "Where do they (Congress) want to take the country and what does it want India to become.

Kya hum chahte hain ki Pakistani roopi zehniyat Hindustan mein zinda rahe? Hindu-Pakistan, Hindu-Taliban ki baat karte hain, desh ko kahan le jana chate hain?: Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha pic.twitter.com/NdYECXR1Pb

— ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2018

He expressed displeasure for introducing the no-confidence motion despite numbers favouring the NDA, he said the BJP never thought of doing so while it was in opposition from 2004-2014 as it was convinced that Manmohan Singh had people’s mandate. Singh said the pride of the country has risen due to the steps taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India has climbed the table of being the largest economy from number 9 to number six over the last four years. Referring to India's membership in the Missile Technology Control Regime club in 2016, Singh even China has not been able to become a member of the elite club. He also took a dig at the Congress saying former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had ridiculed the BJP for having two MPs in the Lok Sabha in 1984, but "one should not be arrogant as time changes and the same party today has majority in Parliament." (With PTI inputs)