H.S. Phoolka Challenges Sonia Gandhi's 1984 Riot Memoir

BJP leader and Senior Advocate H.S. Phoolka has challenged the historical accuracy of Sonia Gandhi's memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love,' specifically regarding the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Phoolka alleges that the account is fabricated and contradicts official government records and judicial commission findings.

Phoolka disputes the claim that Rajiv Gandhi ordered the Army to restore order in Delhi on the night of October 31, 1984, asserting the formal decision occurred on November 1. He also rejects the memoir's suggestion that Army Chief General A.S. Vaidya delayed troop deployment due to concerns over Sikh soldiers. To support this, Phoolka cited the Justice Ranganath Misra Commission, which found that 5,000 personnel were already available in Delhi at the time.

Additionally, Phoolka dismissed Sonia Gandhi's description of Indira Gandhi's regret over Operation Blue Star as "crocodile tears." He pointed to the government's subsequent arrest of Justice V.M. Tarkunde's fact-finding team as evidence against the sincerity of that regret.