Amritsar, October 22
Victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, who were rehabilitated in Ludhiana, have alleged that the AAP government had issued orders to cancel their identity cards, popularly known as red cards, and the move would deny them all kinds of social welfare benefits.
10 cards cancelled: Govt sources
Sources in the government said following a thorough probe, red cards of 10 beneficiaries were cancelled as they had failed to furnish convincing evidence of being 1984 riot victims.
Led by Surjit Singh, president of the Danga Peerat Welfare Society, they met Giani Harpreet Singh, Akal Takht Jathedar, here on Saturday requesting his intervention to stall the move. They also handed over a representation to the Jathedar.
The memorandum stated that the Commissioner of the Revenue Department has cancelled some of the identity cards and it would make them ineligible for any kind of government aid. Moreover, they would have to return all previous benefits also. It claimed that the government had ordered a re-investigation of about 10,000 red cards.
Gurdeep Kaur, president of the women’s wing of the society, said it would be another disaster for those families who were earlier uprooted at the time of riots. She said they would not deter them from immolating themselves in front of the CM’s residence in case the government went ahead with its order.
In the communiqueacute;, they stated that 557 red cards were prepared by the then Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner following a thorough probe in 2010. It stated that 135 of these cards were got cancelled by former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu.
Meanwhile, government sources said following a probe, red cards of 10 beneficiaries were cancelled as they failed to produce convincing evidence of being riot victims.
