Sajjan Kumar verdict: Political leaders welcome sentence

A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Vinod Goel delivered the judgement. "Criminals have enjoyed political patronage," the court observed.

The BJP took little time to take credit for the development.

"Justice for the victims of 1984 was buried by the Congress – the NDA restored fairness and accountability," Union finance minister Arun Jaitley tweeted.

"Sajjan Kumar’s conviction by the Delhi High Court is a delayed vindication of Justice. The Congress and the Gandhi family legacy will continue to pay for the sins of 1984 riots," he said.

Following the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984, nationwide riots had broken out. In one incident five people were killed in the Delhi Cantonment area.

The anti-Sikh riots had erupted in different parts of the country following Gandhi's assassination by her Sikh security guards in the wake of the army operation in the Amritsar Golden Temple to flush out terrorists. The pogrom claimed at least 3,000 lives across the country.

According to US-based Human Rights Watch, successive Indian governments’ failure to prosecute those most responsible for killings and other abuses during the 1984 anti-Sikh violence highlights India’s weak efforts to combat communal violence.

"No one ever had any doubts on Congress's role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Their leaders and workers went on rampage raising provocative slogans, raping women and murdering men in cold blood. Yet no one was ever punished despite multiple commissions and several eyewitnesses," said BJP president Amit Shah.

"Victims of 1984 riots had lost all hope of justice because those responsible for crime against them enjoyed political patronage of Congress leadership. Delhi High Court's conviction of Sajjan Kumar has once again assured the victims that criminals of 1984 will not go scot free," he tweeted.

Punjab chief minister and Congress leader Amrinder Singh said: "Welcome Sajjan Kumar’s conviction by Delhi HC. Justice has finally been delivered. Sajjan was named by victims who I met in refugee camps then and I’d always maintained he should be punished."

Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party boss Arvind Kejriwal said: "I welcome Delhi High Court verdict convicting Sajjan Kumar in 1984 riots case.
It has been a very long n painful wait for innocent victims who were murdered by those in power. Nobody involved in any riot should be allowed to escape no matter how powerful the individual maybe."

"Justice delayed but not denied. #84riots," tweeted former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah.