Sikh groups contest Bachchan's claim of innocence

Contesting actor Amitabh Bachchan's statement that he had not said anything against Sikh community during the 1984 riots, two groups have urged the Akal Takht to reject his letter in which he has claimed innocence.

In a memorandum submitted to Jathedar Akal Takht Gyani Gurbachan Singh, All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) president Karnail Singh Peermohammad and National 1984 Victims Justice and Welfare Society chief Babu Singh Dukhiya urged the Sikh temporal body to give a direction to ruling Shiromani Akali Dal(Badal) and SGPC members "to stop supporting Bachchan's attempt to get clean chit".

They alleged that Bachchan's objectionable comments had been aired in the media.

After being barred by Akal Takht from participating in a religious function, Bachchan had written a letter to the Takht on December 1 stating that he had not uttered anything against the community during the 1984 riots.

69-year-old Bachchan was asked by the Akal Takht not to attend the Virasat-e-Khalsa ceremony on November 25 at Anandpur Sahib over his alleged utterances during the riots in Delhi despite receiving an official invite from the Punjab government.

Bachchan, in his letter, said he never uttered any wrong word against the community during the riots and was not involved in any anti-Sikh activity.

The actor said that his mother Teji Bachchan was from a Sikh family and so he and his family were fully aware of the Sikh tenets and customs.

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