‘SGPC exploiting Hondh killings for polls’

The members of the society — which has been instrumental in getting compensation for riot victims in Punjab — allege that the SGPC President was aware of the incident a year and a half ago but has decided to focus on the issue just before the elections.

“Riots took place in Delhi,Bokaro and even Kanpur as well. Why was the SGPC sleeping at that time? This is an attempt to garner votes as the matter has been blown out of proportion just before the elections. We request the SGPC President to stop this politics with the riot victims,” said Amritpal Singh Rajpal,Vice-president of the Peerbat society.

The Hoondh-Chillar killings pertain to the alleged murder of Sikhs in Hondh-Chillar village in Haryana’s Rewari district during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The SGPC has announced a relief of Rs 2 lakhs each for the affected families in Hondh and has established a Rs 1 crore corpus fund for the higher education of the alleged victim’s children. “ The SGPC should give some relief to the rest of the victims as well who have not got justice even after 27 years and are wandering in Punjab. The SGPC has never helped the victims in the past,” said Surjit Singh,President of the association.