DELHI: The Congress have come under wide scale international criticism for considering Kamal Nath as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh given his alleged role in the 1984 anti-Sikh genocide.

Nath was previously appointed as the Congress in-charge of Punjab in 2016, a role he was forced to quit within three days following uproar over the move among the Sikh community.

Kamal Nath is not subject to any current criminal proceedings but has repeatedly faced allegations over his role in the 1984 anti-Sikh genocide on account of eye witness accounts alleging he had led crowds during the genocide.

Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib was subject to a prolonged siege in which its periphery was damaged, and two Sikhs were burned alive. At the time of Indira Gandhi’s assassination on October 31, 1984, Kamal Nath had grown close to Rajiv Gandhi, whose brother Sanjay he went to school with.

An affidavit of Mukhtiar Singh, who lived within the premises of the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib, speaks of the role of Kamal Nath. According to him, on November 1, 1985, a big mob attacked the Gurdwara at 11 am, raising anti-Sikh slogans and pelting stones. An old Sikh man who tried to pacify the crowd was burned alive. His son, who ran to his rescue, met with the same fate. The police refused to take them to hospital. Both died due to a lack of medical assistance. The mob then tried to enter the Gurdwara, failed, and set it on fire.

Mukhtiar Singh states that with the help of others inside, they managed to extinguish the fire. They tried to dissuade the mob by throwing stones and setting off firecrackers. When the mob persisted, someone inside the Gurdwara fired warning shots from a licensed gun. Mukhtiar Singh states that the mob got bigger and that Congress leaders Kamal Nath and Vasant Sathe were recognised as part of the crowd.

According to Singh, the police, following instructions from Congress leaders, fired several rounds at the Gurdwara. Ajit Singh, another witness living inside the Gurdwara, supported Mukhtiar Singh’s statement.

Monish Sanjay Suri, an Indian Express photographer who reached the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib at 4 pm, states that he saw a crowd of about 4,000 people led by Kamal Nath.

On the day when the Congress is set to announce the next Chief Minister of three states (Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh), Akali Dal leader and Delhi MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa has warned Rahul Gandhi, not to make Kamal Nath as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh owing to his alleged involvement in the genocide of Sikhs in 1984.