'84 riots a stain that Congress can never clean: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hit out at the Congress over its leader Sam Pitroda's reported remarks "Hua to hua" (it just happened)on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, saying the "genocide" was stain that the opposition party can never clean.

Addressing his first election rally in Punjab ahead of the May 19 polls, the Prime Minister also said that Punjab can never forget the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

"See the arrogance of Congress that one of its leader said 'hua toh hua' to such a genocide. This is such a stain in the neck of the Congress which it can never clean. Can Punjab forget the 1984 riots," Modi said as he asked the crowd who was responsible for what happened in 1984.

He said that for three decades, injustice was meted out to the Sikhs and now the Congress was saying "hua to hua".

"After three decades of making excuses and commissions, injustice was done to my Sikh brothers and sisters. Sometimes the Congress sprinkled salt on their wounds and sometimes it committed the sin of sprinkling acid. Now, they are saying 'hua toh hua'," the Prime Minister said.

Modi further said that Sikhs would get justice till the time he is the 'chowkidar' (watchman).

"In 2014, I had promised justice to the victims of 1984 riots. I had said that the murderers of Sikhs will not be spared. As soon as we came to power, we dug out the files. Today I am satisfied that those whom the 'namdars' tried to save have been sent to jail," he said.

The Prime Minister said that the Congress always took the people of the country for granted, while the NDA led by the BJP understood the basic needs of the common people.

"Be it the farmers or the youth, opportunities are being created for everyone," he said.

The Prime Minister also took a dig at Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu over his prise for Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and slammed the Congress over its Pakistan policy.

"When we were trying to find a solution to the Kartarpur Corridor issue, one of the Congress leaders started praising Pakistan. This is the politics of Congress which has promoted terrorism spread by Pakistan," Modi said.

--IANS

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