New Delhi, May 8 (IANS) Nirpreet Kaur, one of the key witnesses and victim of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, broke her six-day-old fast here Wednesday after Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal assured support for her fight for justice.
Kaur was on fast at the Jantar Mantar in central Delhi, demanding justice for about 3,000 Sikhs killed in the 1984 violence following the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi.
Kaur had lost her family members in Delhi Cantonment area during the massacre in November 1984.
Badal, along with his son and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, visited Jantar Mantar and inquired about her health and assured Shiromani Akali Dal’s support to her. Kaur broke the fast following the Punjab chief minister offering a glass of juice to her.
Earlier, Badal met President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh forwarding her demands.
Kaur told reporters after breaking her fast: “This is not only my fight. All the parties should come together to get justice for us.”
About 1,000 people were at Jantar Mantar when Kaur broke her fast.
Kaur was later taken to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital for medical consultation.
A doctor who was looking after her said that her condition was deteriorating every day.
“Ketones and blood pressure were fluctuating. Sugar level has gone down,” a doctor told IANS.
An anti-Sikh riot activist, however, said she did not want to leave the battle in between but under the influence of political leaders she decided to quit.
“She wanted to continue her fast,” said Jarnail Singh, the activist.
On April 30, District and Sessions Judge J.R. Aryan acquitted Congress leader Sajjan Kumar while convicting five others — Balwan Khokkar, an ex-councillor, Mahender Yadav, an ex-MLA, Kishan Khokkar, Girdhari Lal and Captain Bhagmal — in an anti-Sikh riot case.
Sajjan’s acquittal led to protests from the Sikh community.
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