BJP chief summons three Delhi MPs, expresses displeasure over Sajjan Kumar condolence visit
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Nabin on Saturday (August 29, 2026) summoned three party MPs from Delhi — Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri and Yogender Chandolia — and expressed displeasure over their visit to former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar’s residence to offer condolences after his demise.
Kumar, who was serving two life sentences in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, died at Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi on August 20, 2026. The three BJP MPs had recently visited Kumar's residence to pay their respects, triggering criticism from within the party and from activists who have long sought justice for the riot victims.
According to a party source quoted by PTI, “BJP national president Nitin Nabin summoned these three MPs today and expressed his displeasure over their visit to Sajjan Kumar's residence.” The source did not specify whether any further disciplinary action was discussed.
BJP leader and senior Supreme Court advocate H.S. Phoolka, a prominent voice for 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims, welcomed the party chief’s intervention. In a post on X, he said, “This is what leadership should look like, as opposed to the hypocrisy of the Congress all these years. Grateful to Nitin Nabin for taking a strong stance on the issue.” Phoolka added, “BJP has fought for this issue as their own for 40 years,” in an apparent reference to the party’s long-standing criticism of the Congress over its handling of the riots.
Phoolka, who joined the BJP on April 1 this year after a long legal career representing riot victims, had on Friday (August 28, 2026) strongly condemned the MPs’ visit. He called for their boycott, posting on X: “Strongly condemn the visit of 3 MPs Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri and Yogender Chandolia to mass murderer Sajjan Kumar's residence to offer condolences on his death. Sympathy should be reserved for victims and their families—many of whom live the horror of those days even till now.”
BJP spokesperson R.P. Singh also criticised the three MPs. Speaking to PTI Videos on Saturday, he said, “Because Sajjan Kumar was a murderer, a man who had perpetrated the genocide of Sikhs. He was subsequently convicted by the court... under Modi ji's leadership. No action was being taken against Sajjan Kumar during the Congress regime.”
Kumar, a former Congress MP from Outer Delhi, was convicted in 2018 and sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the anti-Sikh riots that followed the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in October 1984. The riots resulted in the deaths of over 3,000 Sikhs across India, with the worst violence reported in Delhi. Kumar was the first senior Congress leader to be convicted in connection with the riots, and his conviction was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2025.
The incident has put the spotlight on the BJP's internal discipline and its stance on the 1984 riots. While party leaders have distanced themselves from the MPs' gesture, the opposition Congress has maintained silence on Kumar's death. Political observers note that the BJP's quick action reflects its sensitivity to the Sikh vote bank and its historical criticism of the Congress over the riots.
The three MPs have not yet issued a public statement. Sources suggest they may have offered condolences in a personal capacity, but the party leadership’s strong reaction underscores the expectations of accountability within the ranks. Analysts say the episode is a test of the BJP's commitment to standing with riot victims, a stance the party has repeatedly emphasised under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
