Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda on Thursday brushed off 1984 anti-Sikh riots saying "happened in 1984, so what". On being asked to respond on the BJP's claim citing the Nanavati commission report that the instructions for the violence had come from late Rajiv Gandhi who had taken up the post of Prime Minister after his mother Indira Gandhi was assassinated, Pitroda told ANI, "I don't think so, this is also another lie, and what about 1984? You speak about what you have done in five years. It happened in 1984, so what? (1984 hua toh hua). What have you done? (Ab kya hai '84 ka? Aapne kya kiya 5 saal mein, uski baat kariye. '84 mein hua to hua. Aapne kya kiya?)" "You were voted to create jobs. You were voted to create 200 smart cities. You have not even done that. You have not done anything that is why you keep talking here and there," he added. Earlier in the day, senior Congress leader Sheila Dikshit expressed disappointment over BJP's allegation of Rajiv Gandhi's 'involvement' in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Asked about BJP's claim, Dikshit told ANI, "Why would Rajiv Gandhi do that? His mother had been killed, why would he instruct? He was deeply hurt. Does the BJP act like this? I am really disappointed." "It's on record of Nanavati Commission that probed the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the biggest genocide of India in which the government killed its own citizens, that instructions to kill came directly from the then PM Rajiv Gandhi's office," the BJP's had tweeted earlier today. The anti-Sikh riots took place after the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. According to official records, about 2,800 Sikhs were killed across India, including 2,100 in Delhi, during the pogrom that broke out after then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards. (ANI) For in-depth, objective and more importantly balanced journalism, Click here to subscribe to Outlook Magazine<doc-sep>Agony of the entire Sikh community. Suffering of all those Sikh families killed by Congress leaders in 1984. Att… https://t.co/3UJuCioeuc — Chowkidar Amit Shah (@AmitShah) 1557412910000 'परिवार के पुरुषों पर टायर डाला, मिट्टी का तेल डाला और जिंदा जला दिया। राजीव गांधी को न बोलूं तो किसे बोलूं...' ऐ… https://t.co/0h0ug1N8LZ — BJP (@BJP4India) 1557416007000 Election results 2019: How Sam Pitroda ended up making a controversial remark on 1984 anti-Sikh riots NEW DELHI: Top BJP leaders, including its president Amit Shah , pounced on Congress leader Sam Pitroda ’s statement on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and said the nation would never forgive Congress for its sins.“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 murderer Congress for its sins,” Shah tweeted.Responding to a question by a TV reporter, Pitroda had said “84 me jo hua so hua” and demanded that BJP should explain its performance in the past five years.Union minister Prakash Javadekar too condemned Pitroda’s comment. “Today, a shocking statement has come from Sam Pitroda, Rahul’s guru and Rajiv’s colleague. He has said that whatever happened in 1984, where 3,000 Sikhs were burnt alive, ‘hua to hua, hua to kya hua’. This is never heard. Nobody has said this. Rajiv Gandhi had justified this genocide by saying when a big tree falls, the earth shakes. Science doesn’t say this. Science says the opposite, when earth shakes, trees fall. This shocker by Sam Pitroda is absolutely horrible. Can’t accept it,” he said.Javadekar asked Sonia and Rahul Gandhi to apologise over Pitroda’s comments. “We condemn this and we demand that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi should apologise not only to the Sikhs but to the nation. If this is the guru, what can be the ‘chela’? People will teach you a lesson democratically,” he added.Pitroda was speaking to the media on BJP’s charge citing the Nanavati Commission report that instructions for the violence had come from then PM Rajiv Gandhi. Answering a question, Pitroda angrily said, “I don’t think so, this is also another lie, and what is with 1984? You speak about what happened in five years. It happened in 1984, so what? (1984 hua to hua).”Earlier, BJP had tweeted, “It is on record of Nanavati Commission that probed the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the biggest genocide of India in which the government killed its own citizens, that instructions to kill came directly from the then PM Rajiv Gandhi’s office. The country awaits justice for this karma.”<doc-sep>Rahul Gandhi said that perpetrators of the 1984 riots should be stringently punished. Highlights The Congress chief said he will directly ask Sam Pitroda to apologise. Sam Pitroda had dismissed the anti-Sikh riots by saying "hua toh hua". PM Modi grabbed the opportunity to term the Congress as "insensitive". Congress leader Sam Pitroda's remarks on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots were "absolutely and completely out of line" and he should apologise for them, party chief Rahul Gandhi said in a Facebook post on Friday. "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," he said, describing the riots -- which claimed nearly 3,000 lives -- as a "terrible tragedy". Mr Pitroda had used the words "hua toh hua (it happened if it happened)" while trying to dismiss questions on the anti-Sikh riots on Thursday, triggering criticism from political parties cutting across ideological lines. While Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh termed the remark as "shocking", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it showed the Congress' "character and mentality". "Congress, which ruled for a long time, has been insensitive and that is reflected by the three words spoken yesterday... these words have not been spoken just like that, these words represent the character and mentality and intentions of the Congress," PM Modi said. Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal was just as forceful in her condemnation. "I would like to ask Mr Pitroda if his entire family is killed tomorrow, will he still think 'hua toh hua'? He needs to go to that widow colony and find out those thousands of women who lost their family members overnight," she told news agency ANI. She reiterated PM Modi's claim that the genocide had been carried out at the behest of Rajiv Gandhi. Her cabinet colleague, Arun Jaitley, demanded that Mr Pitroda be thrown out of the Congress. "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," he said. In his Facebook post, Mr Gandhi called for "stringent punishment" to those responsible for the 1984 riots and reiterated that Congress has made its stand on the matter very clear. "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," it read. Mr Pitroda, for his part, claims that his remark had been "misrepresented and blown out of proportion". "What I meant was move on. We have other issues to discuss as to what the BJP government did and what it delivered. I feel sorry that my remark was misrepresented. This has been blown out of proportion," he told news agency ANI. The Congress leader had made the remark in response to the BJP's claim that the Nanavati Commission, which probed the 1984 carnage, had traced the "instructions to kill" back to Rajiv Gandhi's office. (With inputs from Agencies)<doc-sep>Sam Pitroda said on Friday that he meant 'jo hua wo bura hua [what happened was bad]' on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and not 'hua-toh-hua' but could not translate 'bura' in his mind as his Hindi is not good. He also alleged that his 'hua-toh-hua' statement on the 1984 riots was "completely twisted" and was taken "out of context". His apology came after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, Sikh groups and Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked Pitroada. The prime minister even said it should not be taken as views of an individual but of the Congress party which was arrogant on the issue from the beginning. Congress also distanced itself from his remarks. "The statement I made was completely twisted, taken out of context because my Hindi isn't good, what I meant was 'jo hua vo bura hua,' I couldn't translate 'bura' in my mind," Sam Pitroda said. Earlier on Thursday, Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda brushed off the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, saying 'hua-toh-hua'. Sam Pitroda has apologised for his remark. Sam Pitroda said that what he meant was "move on" and that there are other issues to discuss. The Congress leader also said that he feels sorry his statement was misinterpreted and blown out of proportion. He said, "What I meant was move on. We have other issues to discuss as to what BJP govt did and what it delivered. I feel sorry that my remark was misrepresented, I apologise. This has been blown out of proportion." Sam Pitroda, Congress: What I meant was move on. We have other issues to discuss as to what BJP govt did and what it delivered. I feel sorry that my remark was misrepresented, I apologise. This has been blown out of proportion. https://t.co/PV5Im5hzce ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2019 Sam Pitroda's apology comes hours after Congress released a statement on the party leader's remark on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The party said, in a statement, that it was not the opinion of the Congress. Congress said, "We continue to support the quest for justice for 1984 riot victims. Any opinion remark made by any individual to the contrary including Sam Pitroda is not the opinion of Congress party. We advise all the leaders to be careful and sensitive." "Congress party believes that justice should be done to 1984 riots victims as also to 2002 Gujarat riots victims. We abhor violence of any kind, against any person or a group of people based on their caste, colour, region or religion. This is the essence of India."<doc-sep>
Sam Pitroda's comments drew ire from PM Modi and the BJP Lacerated over the comments of its top leader Sam Pitroda on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots on the verge of voting in Delhi for the national election, the Congress today distanced itself from "remarks made by any individual" and cautioned its leaders to be careful. "Any remark made by any individual is certainly not the opinion of the party," the Congress said. "We advise all leaders of our party to be careful. Justice has to be done for 1984 as well as 2002 riots," the party added in its statement. "The BJP is not interested in justice but to exploit the riots for votes." On Thursday, Sam Pitroda, the Indian Overseas Congress chief, had made the comment when he was asked about the BJP's claim that the Nanavati Commission that probed the 1984 carnage had recorded that "instructions to kill" came directly from the office of then PM Rajiv Gandhi. "I don't think so, this is also another lie, and what about 1984? Ab kya hai 1984 ka? Aapne kya kiya 5 saal mein, uski baat kariye. 1984 mein hua to hua. Aapne kya kiya? (You speak about what you have done in five years. It happened in 1984, so what? What have you done)," Sam Pitroda, the overseas Congress chief, told news agency ANI. The comment was seized by the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, at a public rally, called it an egregious display of arrogance by the Congress. "Congress, which ruled for a long time, has been insensitive and that is reflected by the three words spoken yesterday...these words have not been spoken just like that, these words are character and mentality and intentions of the Congress. And which were these words, these were 'hua to hua'," PM Modi said. The BJP's Delhi unit asked the police to file an FIR against Sam Pitroda. Nearly 3,000 were killed in the three-day carnage following the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. Several Congress leaders were accused of leading killer mobs targeting Sikhs, mainly in Delhi. Thirty-five years on, the riots remain an emotive issue during elections in Delhi, where 1984 victims live in pockets in the east and west.