Addressing a rally in the heart of Punjab, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday lashed out at his party’s overseas unit chief Sam Pitroda, saying he should be “ashamed” for his “totally wrong” remarks on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and should apologise to the country.
Rahul’s remarks came at his first poll rally in Punjab in an apparent damage control exercise after an uproar over Pitroda’s “hua to hua” response to a query on the riots.
“What Sam Pitroda said about 1984 was totally wrong and he should seek an apology from the country... I am saying this publicly and I also told the same to him over phone. Pitroda ji, what you had said was completely wrong and you should be ashamed of yourself. You should seek a public apology,” Rahul said towards the end of his speech in Khanna.
However, stepping up his offensive over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots issue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said Congress chief Rahul Gandhi should be “ashamed” of himself.
Addressing a poll rally in Bathinda from where Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal is seeking re-election, Modi said, “Today I want to ask Congress, how long they will rub salt into our wounds like this. Namdaar (Rahul) has now told his Guru (Pitroda) that he should be ashamed (for his remarks). I want to ask Namdaar why are you pretending to admonish him.”
The BJP has stepped up offensive against the Congress over Pitroda’s remarks as the 1984 riots is an emotive issue in Punjab, which is going to poll on May 19.
Rahul was addressing the rally on Monday in favour of Congress candidates Amar Singh from Fategarh Sahib, Raj Kumar Chabbewal from Hoshiarpur and Santokh Singh Chaudhary from Jalandhar.