Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday slammed the Congress over the remarks made by Sam Pitroda on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, saying his words reflected the character, mentality and intention of the party.
Addressing a rally at Rohtak in Haryana on the last day of campaigning in the state for Phase VI of the Lok Sabha elections, Modi said, "The Congress ruled the country for the maximum period and has been insensitive and arrogant which is reflected in the three words spoken by Sam Pitroda. And what were these words? They were 'hua to hua'."
Modi went on to add, "One of the tallest leaders of the Congress, who is the guru of Rahul Gandhi and was a friend of Rajiv Gandhi, said these words while speaking on the 1984 riots.’’
Further hitting out at the Congress, he said, "We can very well understand the arrogance of those who run the Congress in these three words. Hundreds of Sikhs were burnt by putting petrol and diesel as tyres were put in their necks and the Congress says 'hua to hua'."
Taking strong exception to the Prime Minister’s attempt to link Rajiv Gandhi with the 1984 riots, Punjab
Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh threw the Lok Sabha battle hat back into Modi’s ring by drawing a comparison with the Godhra massacre, which took place under the latter’s chief ministership in
Gujarat.
It was wrong of Modi to connect Rajiv with the anti-Sikh riots of 1984, Amarinder said. "What if someone starts linking Modi with Godhra?” he asked, adding that it did not behove the Prime Minister of the country to stoop to such levels to win an election.
Expressing himself in total disagreement with Congress leader Sam Pitroda’s controversial remarks that “if the 1984 riots happened, they happened, so what”, Amarinder said if Pitroda had actually said this, it was shocking.
“The 1984 riots were a big tragedy and justice had yet not been meted out to the victims. If
some individual leaders were allegedly involved in the riots, they should be punished as per law”, asserted
Amarinder.