Washington: The Obama Administration on Tuesday refused to declare the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in India a genocide, but noted that grave human rights violations had occurred.
The White House response in this regard came months after a section of the Sikh community in the US launched an online petition campaign urging the Obama Administration to recognize the 1984 riots as genocide.
The petition created on November 15, 2012, had generated more than 30,000 signatures within weeks.
Each petition that crosses the threshold of 25,000 signatures is reviewed and receives a response.
"During and after the 1984 violence, the United States monitored and publicly reported on the grave human rights violations that occurred and the atrocities committed against members of the Sikh community," the White House response said.
