Under fire over its leader Sam Pitroda’s comment on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that what Pitroda has said “is completely out of line” and asked him to apologise.

“I think 1984 was a needless tragedy that caused tremendous pain,” Gandhi said in a Facebook post.

Pitroda, the in-charge of the Congress’s overseas units, on Thursday, rubbished BJP’s allegation that the 1984 anti-Sikh riots took place on the orders of former PM Rajiv Gandhi.

“Ab kya hai ’84 ka? Aapne kya kiya 5 saal mein, uski baat kariye. ’84 mein hua to hua. Aapne kya kiya? (What about 1984 now? What have you done in the last five years, talk about that? What happened in 1984, happened. What have you done?),” Pitroda was quoted as saying by ANI.

Rahul Gandhi in his post, further stressed that people responsible for the riots should be punished.

“The Former PM, Manmohan Singh Ji has apologised. My mother, Sonia Gandhi Ji has apologised. We all have made our position very clear – that 1984 was a terrible tragedy and should never have happened,” he said.

“What Mr Sam Pitroda has said is absolutely and completely out of line and is not appreciated. I will be communicating this to him directly. He must apologise for his comment,” Gandhi concluded.

PM said on Friday that the three words uttered by Pitroda – ‘hua to hua’ – sum up the arrogance of the grand old party and proves that “they have no regard for life”.

Following mass outrage over Pitroda’s remark, the Congress on Friday issued a statement distancing itself while asserting that the party continues to strive for justice for victims of any riot.

“Any opinion remark made by any individual to the contrary including Sam Pitroda is not the opinion of Congress party,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) on Friday sent notice to Sam Pitroda over his “hua to hua” remarks on 1984 anti-Sikh riots and directed him to tender an unconditional apology to the Sikh community.

The notice, issued on a complaint filed by Delhi BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, said that the remarks had hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community.

The 1984 riots followed the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by two of her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984. At least 3000 innocent Sikhs were killed, mainly in Delhi and Punjab.

Several Congress leaders have been accused of instigating the mob during the riots.