Congress should repent for 1984 riots instead of staging protests: Nitin Nabin; BJP national president leads ‘Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy’ march in Rohtak on Haryana Day

Rohtak, November 1, 2026: BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Sunday accused the Congress of selectively invoking democracy after electoral defeats, saying November 1 should be a day of “repentance and remorse” for the party over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots rather than one of political protests.

Leading the BJP’s ‘Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy’ march from CR Polytechnic College ground to D-Park in Model Town, Nabin alleged that the Congress had failed to apologise for the killings of Sikhs in 1984 and was now attempting to create unrest by questioning constitutional institutions and the Election Commission.

After the march, Nabin paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue in D-Park and addressed a gathering of party workers and supporters. He said the march was aimed at strengthening democracy and upholding the people's mandate.

Taking aim at Rahul Gandhi, Nabin alleged that the Congress questioned democratic institutions whenever it lost elections but celebrated democracy when it won. “When the Congress wins in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka, it calls it a victory for democracy. But when it loses in Haryana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Bengal, democracy suddenly comes under threat,” he said.

Referring to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Nabin said the Congress should have sought forgiveness from the Sikh community. He also recalled former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's controversial remark, “When a big tree falls, the earth shakes”, and said Rahul Gandhi should express remorse over the violence.

The BJP chief also challenged the Congress to establish internal democracy, alleging that the party remained controlled by the Nehru-Gandhi family. He said a party that could not practise democracy within its own organisation had no moral authority to question the country's democratic institutions.

On Rahul Gandhi's allegations regarding the deletion of 13 crore names from electoral rolls, Nabin claimed that the figures included deceased voters, people who had shifted residence and alleged illegal immigrants. He questioned the Congress's opposition to their removal from electoral lists, alleging that it was seeking to protect questionable entries. These claims were made by Nabin during his address.

Accusing Rahul Gandhi of attempting to create political instability, Nabin said governments elected through people's mandates could not be destabilised by street protests. He asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would continue to lead the country and return to address the nation from the Red Fort in 2029.

Highlighting the Centre's commitment to Haryana's development, Nabin said Modi shared a special bond with the state and credited its people for their support. He urged party workers to counter what he termed the Opposition's politics of anarchy and said the public response in Rohtak reflected continued support for the BJP-led government.

Haryana BJP president Dr Archana Gupta, Union Minister of State Jayant Chaudhary, party national general secretary and Haryana in-charge Smriti Irani, co-in-charge and national secretary Dr Bhola Singh, among other leaders, attended the march.