Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday slammed the Congress over Sam Pitroda’s remarks on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that killed 3,000.
In strongly-worded tweets, Jaitley said that Pitroda’s comment is “reflective of the lack of remorse” in the Congress over the genocide and asked if Gandhi will oust his ‘guru’.
“It is a matter of disgrace that the Congress Party has no remorse over the Sikh killings of 1984. Sam Pitroda’s ‘Hua to Hua’ reaction to the 1984 Sikh killings is reflective of the lack of remorse on the part of Congress Party with respect to the 1984 genocide,” Jaitley said in a tweet.
“Will the Congress President oust his ‘Guru’, who rubbishes the genocide of India’s most patriotic community in 1984?” he added.
Sam Pitroda’s ‘Hua to Hua’ reaction to the 1984 Sikh killings is reflective of the lack of remorse on the part of Congress Party with respect to the 1984 genocide.
— Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 10, 2019
Will the Congress President oust his ‘Guru’, who rubbishes the genocide of India’s most patriotic community in 1984?
— Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 10, 2019
Pitroda, the in charge of the Congress’s overseas units, had 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.
Pitroda’s remarks gave additional ammo to the BJP, who relentlessly targeted the Congress over the “hua to hua” remark.
“Agony of the entire Sikh community. Suffering of all those Sikh families killed by Congress leaders in 1984. Attack on Delhi”s secular ethos. All Summed up in these three words by Sam Pitroda – Hua To Hua. India will never forgive #MurdererCongress for its sins,” BJP chief Amit Shah tweeted on Thursday.
Agony of the entire Sikh community.
Suffering of all those Sikh families killed by Congress leaders in 1984.
Attack on Delhi’s secular ethos.
All Summed up in these three words by Sam Pitroda – Hua To Hua.
India will never forgive #MurdererCongress for its sins. pic.twitter.com/ouYXeHJHlf
— Chowkidar Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 9, 2019
Earlier today, the BJP tweeted a video of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots which includes a clip of Gandhi saying, on the riots, “When a tree falls, the earth shakes”.
1984… भूलना नामुमकिन है।
न दिल्ली भूल पाएगी न ही देश।
न उस खौफनाक मंजर के जख्म भर पाएंगे न ही वो चीखें कान के पर्दों पर खटखटाना बंद करेंगी।
गांधी परिवार के लिए बस एक बड़ा पेड़ गिरा था…जमीन हिली थी।
यह विडियो देखकर आपकी रूह हिल जाएगी…अब आपको फैसला करना है। pic.twitter.com/flJAlNCG4p
— BJP (@BJP4India) May 10, 2019
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.
Over the past few days, the BJP sharpened the attack on Rajiv Gandhi with even Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling him “corrupt”. On Thursday, the PM also said that Gandhi used India’s aircraft carrier INS Viraat as his “personal taxi” in 1987.
The attack on Rajiv Gandhi and the raising of the anti-Sikh riots comes days before Delhi votes in the sixth phase of the national election.