Sukhbir slams Rahul over remarks on 1984 riots; Cong defends

The SAD today hit out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on 1984 anti-Sikh riots, saying by disagreeing with the view that his party was involved in the "genocide", he had "rubbed salt into the wounds" of the Sikh community.

However, the Congress' Punjab unit defended Gandhi's comments and lambasted the Akalis, alleging they were "deliberately distorting" his remarks to divert public attention after being "exposed" of their role in Bargari sacrilege and subsequent killing of innocent Sikhs protesting the sacrilege in Kotkapura.

Describing the 1984 anti-Sikh riots a "very painful tragedy", Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to the UK, said, "I have no confusion in my mind about that. It was a tragedy, it was a painful experience. You say that the Congress party was involved in that, I don't agree with that. Certainly there was violence, certainly there was tragedy."
"Rahul Gandhi has rubbed salt into the wounds of Sikh 'quom' (community) by saying that Congress was not involved in 1984 anti Sikh riots," Badal told reporters here today, adding, "It shows the thinking of Gandhi towards Sikh community."