Rahul Gandhi lashes at Sam Pitroda: You should be ashamed

Rahul Gandhi

Khanna: Facing a mounting attack from the BJP, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday rebuked his party's overseas unit chief Sam Pitroda, saying he should be "ashamed" for his "totally wrong" remarks on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and should apologise to the country.

Gandhi's remarks came at his first poll rally in Punjab in an apparent damage control exercise after an uproar over Pitroda's "hua to hua" response to a query on the riots. The Congress chief had earlier tweeted his disapproval and the party had distanced himself from Pitroda's remarks.

"What Sam Pitroda said about 1984 was totally wrong and he should seek an apology from the country. I am saying this publicly and I also told the same to him over phone. Pitroda ji, what you had said was completely wrong and you should be ashamed of yourself. You should seek a public apology," Gandhi said in his speech.

The BJP stepped up offensive against the Congress over Pitroda's remarks as the 1984 riots is an emotive issue in Punjab which is going to poll on May 19. During campaigning in Haryana's Rohtak district and in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday had said the comments reflected the "character and arrogance" of the opposition party.

On Sunday in Punjab's Amritsar, BJP chief Amit Shah had asking Gandhi whether the matter has ended with Pitroda tendering an apology for "justifying" the "Sikh genocide".
Gandhi was addressing the rally Monday in favour of Congress candidate and former bureaucrat Amar Singh who is pitted from Fatehgarh Sahib (reserve) constituency against SAD nominee D S Guru, a former IAS officer.

'Rahul pretending'

Slamming the Congress president over the issue of 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Modi said he should be "ashamed" of himself rather than "pretending" as if he is scolding Congress leader Sam Pitroda for the comments. Pitroda, a close aide of Rahul Gandhi and head of the Overseas Congress had last week said "Hua to hua..." over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Pitroda later said his words have been twisted.

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