A day after the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi admitted that 1984 anti-Sikh riots were “absolutely wrong” and “some Congressmen were involved,” his remarks prompted criticism not only in political, but religious circles too.
leading the attack on Gandhi scion for his comments on 1984 riots, the Shiromani Akali Dal has asked the Sikh community to “boycott” the Congress. The ruling party in Punjab also maintained that it would “examine the possibility of legal course of action against Congress”. On the other hand, the Congress came out in its youth leader’s defence blaming the SAD for trying to “distort” Rahul Gandhi’s “honest and straightforward” remarks on the sensitive issue.
Rahul Gandhi, during a candid TV interview on Monday, asserted that violence that broke out against Sikhs in Delhi following the assassination of his grandmother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, in 1984, in which almost 3,000 lost their lives, was different from the religious riots in the western State of Gujarat, where 1,000 people, mainly Muslims, died.
“The difference was that in 1984, the Government was trying to stop the riots… In Gujarat, the opposite was the case. The Government in Gujarat was actually abetting and pushing the riots further,” he had added. Slamming Rahul Gandhi, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has advised the Congress party to “seek forgiveness” from the nation through a resolution in the Parliament.
“Now that Gandhi has admitted to Congress hand in the riots, he should ask his party or the Central Government to seek an apology from the nation by passing a resolution in the Parliament,” Badal said while talking to the media persons in Tarn Taran. “In the past, its leaders have tendered individual apologies for the riots, but not once has the Congress passed a resolution at the party forum to express regret. I doubt whether the Congress will ever pass such a resolution at the party level or in Parliament,” he added. Besides Rahul, his mother and All-India Congress Committee chief Sonia Gandhi had earlier expressed regret over the riots. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had also expressed regret over riots in the Parliament during his first term, but he did not move a formal resolution as was then demanded by the Akali Dal.
Calling upon the Sikh community to boycott the Congress, SAD chief and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal said that it was condemnable Rahul Gandhi did not even bother to tender an apology to the community for the genocide.
“While Rahul Gandhi has added insult to the injured sentiments of Sikh community, his utterances have given a ground to the Court to take suo motu action on his confessional statement which is nothing short of self admission of the barbaric crimes of Congressmen in anti Sikh genocide,” he added, while taking to media persons in Amritsar. Sukhbir also added that the Akali Dal would examine the possibility of legal course of action against the Congress. Expressing shock at Rahul's refusal to apologize despite confession, Sukhbir questions the Congress’ “moral and constitutional right to stay in power at the Center”.
“After 30 years of denial by his party and family, Rahul has finally spoken what the entire world has always known as the truth — that the Congress party and the Union government led by his father late Rajiv Gandhi had presided over execution of the most beastly massacre of innocents in the streets of the national capital in 1984,” said Sukhbir.
Sukhbir also asked all the Punjab Congressmen to resign en masse after Rahul Gandhi’s open admission. “What are you doing in the Congress whose principal figure admits to party’s hands being red with blood of innocent Sikhs. If the likes of Partap Singh Bajwa have any conscience at all, they should step down and offer apologies to the people for their continuance in that party for so many years,” said Sukhbir.
Assailing Gandhi for his remarks contrasting Gujarat riots with anti-Sikh riots, SAD leader and MP Naresh Gujaral alleged that Congress had shielded individuals who were involved in the “carnage” against Sikhs. “Rahul Gandhi says that Narendra Modi was responsible for the 2002 riots in Gujarat because he was the Chief Minister. Then what about his father who was the Prime Minister when the carnage against Sikhs took place in Delhi," Gujral said.
He maintained that several prominent people, including his father IK Gujral — the former Prime Minister, Retd General JS Aurora, former Air Force chief Arjan Singh, repeatedly went to the then President and the Home Minister during 1984 riots in Delhi, but both of them expressed helplessness. “The police in Delhi did not fire even a single bullet at the rioters and there was delay in calling the Army in during the 1984 riots,” he added. Terming Rahul Gandhi’s revelations as “shocking”, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president and SAD’s Delhi unit chief Manjit Singh GK said that it was “clear cut acceptance of involvement of the Congress party in a “planned massacre”.
“It is really shameful that it took Congress party 30 years to accept that some Congress leaders were involved…and by doing this, Gandhi is trying to act as a statesman at a time when Congress’ defeat in the ensuing parliament elections is imminent. Such gimmicks now would not help Congress in elections,” said GK. He said that it was high time Rahul Gandhi and his Congress party “ensured punishment” against those involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Defending the party’s national vice-president, former Chief Minister and permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) Capt Amarinder Singh lashed out at the SAD leadership, particularly the Badal duo, for “trying to distort the comments”. “Nothing can be more preposterous than the Akalis seeking Rahul Gandhi's apology for 1984 riots….Rahul Gandhi was a small boy of 13 years when the riots took place. How can you blame someone for something he is not even remotely associated withIJ” asked Capt Amarinder, while advising the Akalis not to distort and misinterpret honest and straightforward remarks made by Rahul Gandhi.
Capt Amarinder said that the Akalis should rather acknowledge that Rahul Gandhi had been fair in his interview by not shying away from the issue and not defending any of the accused. Moreover, the senior Congress leader pointed out that the Congress president Sonia Gandhi had gone to Darbar Sahib with him twice — first when he was the Punjab Congress president and later as the Chief Minister — where she expressed deep regrets over what happened in 1984. later the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh apologized in the Parliament, he added.
Former Chief Minister also rapped the BJP leaders for trying to justify 2002 Gujarat riots. “One wrong cannot justify another wrong,” he asserted, while asking the BJP leaders, if they have the moral courage as the way they are trying to take a high moral ground, they should ask their Prime Ministerial candidate to apologise in the same manner.