“Writing a book does not rewrite history”: Manjinder Singh Sirsa slams Sonia Gandhi’s memoir over 1984 anti-Sikh riots

Sirsa stated that he examined the book's account of the 1984 violence against findings from various inquiry commissions, court judgments, and parliamentary records. He alleged that while the memoir selectively references the suffering of Sikh families, it fails to name specific Congress leaders implicated in official reports.

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Wednesday slammed Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi over her newly released memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love. Sirsa accused the veteran Congress leader of shielding her family's accountability and glossing over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots while giving former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi a clean chit.

Sirsa stated that he examined the book's account of the 1984 violence against findings from various inquiry commissions, court judgments, and parliamentary records. He alleged that while the memoir selectively references the suffering of Sikh families, it fails to name specific Congress leaders implicated in official reports. Directly criticising the emotional narrative in the book, Sirsa said, "Sonia Gandhi has written about her own tears. She has written about Indira Gandhi's tears. She has given Rajiv Gandhi a clean chit... not one line of accountability [is offered] for families whose homes were burnt and whose children and other family members were killed."

Referring to Gandhi’s description that "more than two thousand lost their lives in the capital alone, in the most cruel and cold-blooded manner" and her statement that "I had become empty of tears," Sirsa questioned why the memoir omitted the names of those responsible and avoided addressing systemic accountability. He further criticised Gandhi for calling the 1984 violence "a tragic and shameful chapter in the history of our nation" without issuing a formal, unconditional apology to the Sikh community.

Challenging historical claims in the book, Sirsa pointed to the long delays in registering cases, citing how Joginder Singh's July 1987 affidavit to the Jain-Banerjee Committee alleging Sajjan Kumar incited a mob only resulted in an FIR in December 1991. He also disputed the memoir's suggestion that the Sikh community voting for Congress in subsequent polls indicated forgiveness, noting that the February 1992 Punjab Assembly elections saw mainstream Akali Dal factions boycott the polls, a low 23.8 per cent voter turnout, and a Congress sweep of 87 out of 117 seats.

Highlighting the contrasting actions of the government, Sirsa noted that the Delhi BJP administration provided jobs to 55 family members of 1984 victims, distributing appointment letters across 2025. He posed five critical questions to Sonia Gandhi, asking why implicated leaders were rewarded by the party, why victims had to wait decades for justice and rehabilitation, and whether she and Rahul Gandhi would finally tender an unconditional apology to the Sikh community.

"The Sikh community does not want sympathy. It wants truth, accountability and justice. Writing a book does not rewrite history. Mentioning tears does not wash away responsibility." (ANI)