Cong defends Rahul’s ‘84 anti-Sikh riots remarks

Chidu says RaGa can’t be held responsible for something that took place when he was a teen

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday came out in support of his party president's comment on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and said Rahul Gandhi cannot be held responsible for something that took place when he was 13/14-years-old.

Chidambaram, who is on a visit here, said former prime minister Manmohan Singh had apologised in Parliament as had former party chief Sonia Gandhi for the "terrible thing" (anti-Sikh riots) that took place when the Congress was in power.

To a question being asked by a reporter at an event in the UK Parliament about the 1984 riots, Gandhi said: "I have no confusion in my mind about that. It was a tragedy, it was a painful experience. You say that the Congress party 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 London School of Economics (LSE) when he was again asked about the anti-Sikh riots and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement on it, Gandhi said: "When 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."

"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 Gandhi.