Senior advocate and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader H. S. Phoolka on Saturday, 29 August sharply criticised three party MPs — Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, and Yogender Chandolia — for visiting the residence of Congress leader and 1984 anti-Sikh riots convict Sajjan Kumar to offer condolences following his death. Phoolka simultaneously praised BJP President Nitin Nabin for swiftly reprimanding the parliamentarians once the visit came to light.

The Visit That Sparked the Row

The controversy erupted after the three BJP MPs called on Sajjan Kumar's family to offer condolences. BJP President Nitin Nabin publicly expressed displeasure at the visit, drawing praise from within the party's own ranks. Phoolka, who has spent decades fighting legal battles on behalf of 1984 riot victims, was among the first to demand accountability.

A day before his public remarks, Phoolka posted on X (formerly Twitter): 'Sympathy should be reserved for victims and their families — many of whom live the horror of those days even till now,' calling for the 'boycott' of the three MPs.

Phoolka on BJP's Four-Decade Stand

'For the last 42 years, since this genocide took place, BJP has been standing up and supporting the victims in their battle for justice. The party has not only been demanding the strictest punishment for the accused but also has been playing a role to ensure justice,' Phoolka said.

He recalled that senior BJP leaders, including the late Arun Jaitley and Ravi Shankar Prasad, had appeared as counsel for the victims in Sajjan Kumar's case. Phoolka added that the party had consistently supported him in representing those affected by the riots.

The Legal History Behind the Conviction

Phoolka noted that the Nanavati Commission was constituted during the government of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, following which cases were initiated against Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler — the same proceedings in which Kumar was ultimately convicted.

'Sajjan Kumar was subsequently convicted and sent to jail. Despite his repeated attempts to get bail, the then BJP government ensured that he was not able to get that. He did not even get parole. There were clear instructions to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that he had to appear in every hearing personally and not let Kumar get released,' Phoolka said. 'Tushar Mehta ji followed the same, and ultimately he died in jail,' he added.

Why the Condolence Visit Was 'Absolutely Wrong'

Phoolka was unequivocal in his assessment: the condolence visit by the three MPs is 'against the party's stand' and 'absolutely wrong.' He questioned why the MPs chose to pay respects to Kumar given that the BJP had actively worked to keep him behind bars and had even demanded the death penalty in his case.

'That is why as soon as the party chief got to know about this, he took swift action and reprimanded the three MPs,' Phoolka stated. The episode has widened an internal fault line within the BJP over how the party's rank and file relate to figures associated with the 1984 anti-Sikh violence — a politically sensitive subject, particularly in Punjab and among the Sikh diaspora.