A group of demonstrators on Sunday attempted to march towards Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s residence protesting against the acquittal of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, even as an indefinite fast by one of the victims entered the third day.
The protesters who gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi began their march towards the 7, Race Course Road residence of the Prime Minister in the afternoon, but were prevented near the Parliament Street police station from moving ahead.
Shouting slogans against Congress leaders, some of the protesters had a scuffle with the police and tried to break the barricades.
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They were stopped by the police at the barricades and many of them were detained. As a preventive measure, police had deployed a large contingent besides water canons. The protesters, who were detained, were let off later.
The group went back to Jantar Mantar.
“Today we wanted to march to the PM’s residence but we were stopped by the police. Tomorrow, we will adopt a different strategy. We will fight till justice is done,” Manjeet Singh, G.K., president of Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee, said.
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Former Delhi BJP chief Vijender Gupta said, “The rights of the Sikhs have been denied. Even after these years, justice couldn’t be done. The way the police and the government have tried to play with witnesses and evidences to hide the truth... even the police’s role seems to be suspicious.
“We fully support them (the protesters). The Congress government needs to give an answer,” he said.
Meanwhile, the indefinite fast of Nirpreet Kaur, one of the 1984 riot victims, entered the third day on Sunday. Ms. Kaur is protesting against the acquittal of Mr. Kumar.
Ms. Kaur, who lost her father in the riots, had on Saturday shot off a letter to the Prime Minister asking him to set up a special investigation team to probe the riots.
She has also demanded that the CBI should file an appeal in the Delhi High Court against Mr. Kumar.