Had Narsimha Rao heeded IK Gujral's advice to call in army, 1984 riots could have been averted: Manmohan Singh
New Delhi/IBNS: Former Prime Minsiter Manmohan Singh has claimed that the Sikh massacre of 1984 could have been avoided if former Home Minister Narasimha Rao had heeded IK Gujral's advice to call in the army at the earliest, an NDTV report said.
"When the sad event of 1984 took place, Gujral-ji on that very sad evening went to the then Home Minister PV Narasimha Rao and said to him that the situation is so grave that it is necessary for the government to call the army at the earliest. If that advice would have been heeded perhaps the massacre that took place in 1984 could have been avoided," said the former prime minister at a programme organised on the100th birth anniversary of IK Gujral, who held the office of Prime Minister in 1997-98.
The BJP was quick to react over Manmohan Singh's comment. "Manmohan Singh-ji, the power to call in the army lies with the prime minister. Rajiv Gandhi was prime minister, why didn't he call the army," BJP leader and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar was quoted as saying by NDTV.
"Instead, Rajiv Gandhi justified it saying - 'when a tree falls, the earth shakes'," Mr Javadekar added.
IK Gujral's son Naresh Gujral, who is a leader of BJP ally Akali Dal said his father had approached Narasimha Rao several times to call in the army which was merely 40-60 km away from Delhi, but his appeals were not heard, the report said.
"The home minister did not act. Clearly it was a congress conspiracy," Mr Gujral said, Mr Gujral was quoted as saying by NDTV.
More than 3,000 people were killed as riots broke out across India following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by Sikh bodyguards.
According to the report, Nrasimha Rao's family has rejected Manmohan Singh's comment. His grandson NV Subhash said, "As a family member I'm feeling saddened by this statement by Dr Manmohan Singh, it's unacceptable. Can any Home Minister take independent decision without Cabinet's approval? If Army had been called, it would have been a disaster."
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