Hope other "big leaders" responsible for communal violence are also punished: Kejriwal

New Delhi, Dec 18: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday welcomed the sentencing of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in the 1984 anti-sikh riots case and hoped other "big leaders" involved would also be punished, as also those who perpetrated communal violence in Gujarat and Muzzafarnagar.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal

Kejriwal said ordinary people are peace-loving and wish to live in harmony, but such riots are "incited politically".

"I welcome Delhi High Court verdict convicting Sajjan Kumar in 1984 riots case.. It took a lot of time. It was delayed, but it finally came," he said on the sidelines of an event here.

Sajjan Kumar

"And, I hope all other big leaders involved in this (1984 anti-Sikh riots), with time they would also get the toughest of punishments. As, also those involved in other such mass killings which took place after it, whether it was 2002 Gujarat riots or the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots," Kejriwal told reporters.

"People wish to live peacefully, and Hindus and Muslims do not want to fight with each other, but parties instigate it and big political leaders do it," he said.

The Delhi High Court

The AAP chief said if tough punishment is given, then in future, such incidents would not happen. The Delhi High Court Monday sentenced Kumar, a Congress veteran, to life in the deadly anti-Sikh riots in 1984, holding it was perpetrated by those with "political patronage" and pushed for a new law for speedy prosecution of genocide and mass killings.

1984 anti-Sikh riots left thousands dead

Calling for strengthening of the legal system to ensure perpetrators of mass crimes are made answerable, the court said neither 'crimes against humanity' nor 'genocide' is part of the domestic law of crime and this loophole needs to be addressed urgently.

It also named 2002 post-Godhra Gujarat riots and Muzaffarnagar riots in Uttar Pradesh in 2013 among other mass killings since 1947 where minorities were targeted.

OneIndia News with PTI inputs