HS Phoolka targets AAP over compensation for 1984 Sikh massacre victims, says victims were used politically
By Ravi Jakhu
Chandigarh, September 2, 2026:
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Supreme Court lawyer Sardar H.S. Phoolka on Wednesday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of using the suffering of victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh massacre for political and electoral gains instead of genuinely pursuing justice for them.
Addressing a press conference in the presence of BJP State Media Head Vineet Joshi, Phoolka described AAP’s recent protests over the issue as an example of what he termed political hypocrisy.
He particularly questioned the participation of AAP MLA Ram Singh Netaji in a condolence meeting organised for former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, who was convicted in a 1984 anti-Sikh massacre case.
Phoolka said victims and their families had waited for decades for justice and that their suffering should not be reduced to a political instrument.
“Those who genuinely stand with the victims cannot simultaneously express solidarity with those convicted in cases relating to crimes against them,” he said.
Phoolka Alleges AAP Delayed Compensation
Recounting the history of compensation for the victims, Phoolka said that after the Narendra Modi-led government came to power in 2014, then Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced an additional compensation of ₹5 lakh for each victim family of the 1984 massacre.
He said the Centre had directed the states to distribute the compensation at the earliest, considering that the victims had already waited nearly three decades.
According to Phoolka, while the additional compensation was distributed in several states, its distribution was delayed in Delhi after the AAP government came to power.
Phoolka claimed that he repeatedly urged the AAP government to release the compensation, pointing out that the funds had already been sanctioned by the Centre.
“I repeatedly requested the AAP government to distribute the compensation. The money had already been sanctioned by the Centre. But I was told that there was no point in giving it immediately and that it could be given closer to the Punjab elections,” he alleged.
Phoolka said he resigned from all party posts in September 2015 in protest against the delay. He added that the Delhi Government subsequently distributed the additional compensation on November 1, 2015, at a function in Tilak Vihar.
“The victims had already waited 30 years. Their suffering should never have been viewed through the lens of electoral calculations,” he said.
Claims BJP Supported Victims for Decades
Phoolka also highlighted his association with the BJP over the issue of justice for victims of the 1984 massacre, saying his involvement with the party on the matter went back nearly four decades, although he formally joined the BJP only recently.
Recalling his earlier association with former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana, Phoolka said he had served as his adviser. He also pointed out that BJP leaders and lawyers, including former Union ministers Arun Jaitley and Ravi Shankar Prasad, had appeared in cases related to the 1984 massacre.
He further recalled former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s efforts to highlight the scale of the killings and support the victims despite political pressure.
Phoolka said that convictions in cases related to the 1984 massacre had been secured during both the Vajpayee and Narendra Modi governments.
Drawing a contrast between the BJP and AAP, Phoolka said, “The difference is clear: BJP stood with the victims when it was difficult; AAP remembered them when it became politically convenient.”
“The victims needed justice, compensation and dignity—not political slogans,” he added.