BJP Summons 3 MPs Over Sajjan Kumar Visit
Nitin Nabin says MPs “shouldn’t have gone” as opposition targets BJP over visit to 1984 riots convict’s home
- BJP chief Nitin Nabin summoned Ramvir Bidhuri, Yogender Chandoliya and Kamaljeet Sehrawat.
- The three MPs visited Sajjan Kumar’s residence to offer condolences after his death.
- AAP leaders accused the BJP of double standards over the visits.
- BJP leader HS Phoolka also condemned the MPs’ visit.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 29th Aug: BJP president Nitin Nabin has summoned three party MPs after they visited the residence of former Congress leader and 1984 anti-Sikh riots convict Sajjan Kumar to offer condolences following his death.
The MPs — Ramvir Bidhuri, Yogender Chandoliya and Kamaljeet Sehrawat — have faced criticism over their visit, with opposition parties questioning the BJP’s position on Kumar, who was serving a life sentence in connection with the 1984 riots.
“They shouldn’t have gone,” Nabin said, according to the report.
Kumar, 80, died earlier this month while serving his life sentence. He had been convicted in connection with the killing of five men during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and had also faced health problems, including high blood pressure and Parkinson’s disease.
Kumar’s political legacy remains contentious
Kumar was a former Congress MP who represented the Outer Delhi constituency after winning on a Congress ticket in 1980. He was subsequently elected to the Lok Sabha in 1991 and 2004.
He was charged in 2010 with murder, rioting, criminal conspiracy and inciting violence during the 1984 riots. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2018 for his role in the violence.
In 2025, a Delhi court convicted Kumar in another case relating to the killings of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh on November 1, 1984.
His death had earlier triggered controversy after some Congress leaders, including Deepender Hooda, expressed condolences. Several Congress leaders criticised Hooda over the remarks, citing Kumar’s conviction and the political sensitivity surrounding the 1984 riots.
AAP targets BJP over MPs’ visit
The visit of the three BJP MPs has now provided opposition parties an opportunity to target the BJP.
AAP leader Baltej Pannu alleged that the MPs’ presence at Kumar’s final rites exposed what he called the “real face” of the BJP.
Delhi AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj also criticised Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Yogender Chandoliya and Ramvir Singh Bidhuri over their visit.
BJP leader HS Phoolka, who was involved in the legal fight for justice in the 1984 riots cases, also condemned the MPs’ decision to visit Kumar’s residence.
Phoolka said sympathy should be reserved for the victims and their families and called for a boycott of the three MPs.
The BJP leadership’s decision to summon the MPs comes amid renewed political debate over the legacy of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and the parties’ positions on those convicted in related cases.
