BJP seeks apology from Sonia, Rahul over Pitroda's remarks

The BJP on Friday demanded an apology from UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi over Indian Oversees Congress chief Sam Pitroda's remarks on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

"We demand that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi must apologise for the worst comments made by Sam Pitroda which has hurt the people of the country," Union Minister Prakash Javadekar told the media here at his residence.

Pitroda had on Thursday brushed off the 1984 anti-Sikh riots saying, "It happened in 1984, so what?"

After a controversy erupted over his remarks, Pitroda on Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of twisting and distorting facts from his comments to divide the people and hide its failures.

"I acknowledged the pain of my Sikh brothers and sisters during difficult times in 1984 and deeply feel for the atrocities that happened. But these are things from past that are not really relevant to this election which is all about what did Modi government do for the last five years. Rajiv Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will never target a group of people based on creed," he said in a series of tweets.

Reacting to his clarification, Javadekar said that Pitroda's explanation was even more dangerous as he acknowledged the pain of the Sikh community while saying that it was not relevant today.

"When Sikhs have not got justice how it is not relevant today? It is relevant today because it is an unsolved saga of atrocities and if atrocities and genocide against Sikhs are not relevant than tomorrow Sam Pitroda will say partition is not relevant, ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits is not relevant.

"He will say communal politics in Shah Bano case is also not relevant today. It is relevant because these are issues faced by the nation and nation has to debate it during elections," Javadekar added.

Slamming Pitroda for his remarks that late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will never target a group of people based on creed, the Union Minister asked will he explain the justification of genocide by Rajiv Gandhi when he said when "big tree falls, earth trembles".

"Is this not supporting genocide?" he asked.

--IANS

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