PM, BJP slam Pitroda over 'hua to hua' remarks on 1984 anti-Sikh riots; he hits back, says words twisted

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday led a fresh BJP offensive on the Congress over its leader Sam Pitroda's "so what" remarks on 1984 anti-Sikh riots, saying it showed the "character and arrogance" of the opposition party.

As his remarks kicked up a storm, Pitroda accused the BJP of twisting the three words in Hindi on the riots to "distort facts, divide us(Congress) and hide their failures" and said things of the past are not relevant in this election.

Pitroda, a close aide of Rahul Gandhi and Overseas Congress' head, on Thursday said, 'hua to hua' (So what, it happened) about the anti-Sikh riots. He made this remark in response to a question on the riots by a newsman in Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh.

The BJP demanded that UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi apologise to the nation while ally Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and his wife and union minister Harsimrat Kaur said the comments were "disgraceful" and reflected the mindset of the Gandhis.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said it is a matter of disgrace that the party had no remorse over the Sikh killings and wondered if Rahul Gandhi would "oust his Guru" for the remarks.

Latching on to Pitroda's remarks, Modi kept up his attack on the Congress while addressing a poll rally in Rohtak in Haryana.

How Congress ran this country for 70 years, how their mind works, how they are filled with arrogance, they themselves yesterday summed this up in three words
"Truth is being distorted, lies are being amplified through social media and targeted. People are systematically being intimidated. However, truth will always prevail and lies will be exposed. It is just a matter of time. Have patience."
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra at a press conference in Delhi in the presence of Nirpreet Kaur, a witness to the riots, said the language used by Pitroda is comparable only to the "insensitive, inhuman" remark made by Rajiv Gandhi who in the aftermath of the "genocide" said that "when a big tree falls, the earth shakes."