Congress not involved in 1984 riots, says Rahul
LONDON: Congress president Rahul Gandhi has described the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as a “very painful tragedy” and said he was “100%” for the punishment for those involved in any violence against anybody.
Nearly 3,000 Sikhs were killed in the riots in 1984 following the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi by her
Sikh bodyguards when the Congress government was in power at the Centre.
Rahul, who is on a two-day visit to the UK, told the audience of UK-based parliamentarians and local leaders on Friday that the incident was a tragedy, but disagreed with the view that the
Congress was “involved”.
“I think any violence done against anybody is wrong. There are legal processes ongoing in
India but as far as I’m concerned anything done that was wrong during that period should be punished and I would support that 100%,” he said.
“I have no confusion in my mind about that. It was a tragedy, it was a painful experience. You say that the Congress was involved in that, I don’t agree with that. Certainly there was violence, certainly there was tragedy.”
Later, during an interactive session at the prestigious London School of Economics (LSE) when he was again asked about the anti-Sikh riots, Rahul said: “When Mr Manmohan Singh spoke, he spoke for all of us. As I said earlier, I am a victim of violence and I understand what it feels.” He was referring to the killing of his father and former
As far as I’m concerned, anything wrong that was done during that period should be punished and I would support that 100%. RAHUL GANDHI, AICC chief
prime minister Rajiv Gandhi by the LTTE in 1991.
“So, I am against any sort of violence against anybody on this planet. I get disturbed when I see anybody being hurt. So, I condemn that 100 per cent and I am 100 per cent for punishment for those involved in any violence against anybody. That’s crystal clear,” said Rahul. not He had said violence that people, inflicted who upon have them, think that violence is what one sees in movies. “That’s not what it is. I have seen people who I loved very much being killed. I have also seen the person (Prabhakaran) who killed my father being killed. “When I saw Prabhakaran lying on the beaches in Jaffna (Lanka), when I saw him being humiliated, the way he was, I felt sorry for him, because I saw my father in his place and his children in my place,” he added. “So, when you are being hit by violence, when you understand it, it has a completely different impact on you.” Rahul said most people do not understand violence which is a horrible thing.
CHANDIGARH : Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, on Saturday, lashed out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his statement that he (Rahul) disagreed with the view that the Congress was ‘involved’ in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in the country.
Addressing a press conference, Sukhbir added, “Now, it is paramount for Rahul Gandhi to explain what hold the perpetrators of the 1984 Sikh massacre have over him. Rahul’s stand contradicts former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who had apologised for the killing of innocent Sikhs in 1984. Even the then Congress party president, Sonia Gandhi, had expressed regret.”
“You should tell the country why these apologies were offered if the Congress was not a ‘Bhagidaar’ (participant) in the worstever mass lynchings,” Sukhbir added. Sukhbir also reminded Rahul that he had, in an interview on March 16, 2014, stated that he shared the sentiments of both Dr Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi on this issue.
“Why this U-turn now? Are you sending across a message of assurance to the 1984 lynching perpetrators Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar before they are jailed in this case that the Congress party will continue to support them...and that they should not spill the beans about the role of the Gandhi family in the 1984 mass killings?” he asked.
‘PLOY TO DEFLECT ATTENTION FROM RANJIT PANEL REPORT’ Chandigarh Congress ministers
and MLAs on Saturday said the Akalis were deliberately distorting remarks made by Congress president Rahul Gandhi in London on 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The leaders said the SAD was trying to divert public attention after being exposed for their role in Bargari sacrilege and subsequent police firing at Sikh protesters in the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report.
Ministers Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria and MLA Kuljit Nagra said Rahul had clearly and unequivocally condemned the riots.
“Normally, Badals are used to raking up the riots issue during elections. However, this time their survival is at stake as the Ranjit panel report will script their political obituary,” they added.