Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s statement describing his grandmother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s death as “fallout of politics of hatred” has attracted criticism from Sikh radical outfits.
The young Gandhi scion, a day before, had said that his grandmother and father Rajiv Gandhi, also the former Prime Minister, were killed by communal forces.
Taking strong exception to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjit Singh GK questioned him then who killed more than 5,000 innocent Sikhs all over the country in the carnage of November 1984.
“The comments have angered Sikhs because in his speech he has not touched the issue of anti-Sikh carnage of 1984, and he should seek forgiveness for that,” said Manjit Singh GK.
On the other hand, radical Sikh outfit Dal Khalsa too maintained that Rahul “conveniently” skipped mentioning 1984 anti-Sikh riots that followed Indira Gandhi’s death.
“Rahul conveniently chose not to mention the reasons for the anger, which his family, his government and the Congress continue to ignore to this day,” said Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh.
He added that it was the Congress and BJP that practice the politics of hatred, particularly with the minorities and marginalised sections of society.