Nobody thought Congress leaders will get convicted in 1984 riots: PM Modi

Referring to the life sentence awarded to Sajjan Kumar by the Delhi High Court, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said before his government came to power nobody would have imagined that Congress leaders will get convicted in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PTI Photo

MUMBAI: Referring to the life sentence awarded to Sajjan Kumar by the Delhi High Court, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said before his government came to power nobody would have imagined that Congress leaders will get convicted in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. "Four years ago, nobody ever thought of Congress leaders getting convicted in the 1984 Sikh massacre and that people (victims) would get justice," Modi said while speaking at the Republic Summit in Mumbai. Congress leader Sajjan Kumar was on Monday convicted and sentenced to life term for "remainder of his natural life" in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case by the Delhi High Court which said the riots were a "crime against humanity" perpetrated by those who enjoyed "political patronage". The prime minister Modi also took a dig at the Congress over the recent Supreme Court ruling on allegations related to procurement of Rafale jet fighters for the Indian Air Force. "For the first time it has happened that the country's top court was approached over some allegations related to corruption. And they got a clear verdict which said whatever work has been done (in the Rafale deal), has been done with transparency and honesty," Modi said. ALSO READ: Key points in Sajjan Kumar verdict and timeline of 1984 anti-Sikh riots case Nobody ever thought such a thing could take place four years ago (when Congress was in power), Modi said. "We have a psychology wherein we believe more in corruption allegations against the government. Whether it is malpractice or corruption charges, the psychology has remained same," Modi said. "Nobody thought four years ago that one day, Christian Michel, key person in the (AgustaWestland) helicopter scam, would be in India. The dots are being connected," he said.