Rahul lashes out at Pitroda for remarks on 1984 riots

Khanna: Facing a mounting attack from the BJP, Congress president Rahul Gandhi Monday again 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 wrong and he should seek an apology from the country.

"I am saying this publicly, and I also told the same to him over the 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 towards the end of his speech here.

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 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 to ask 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 DS Guru, also a retired IAS officer. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh was also present at the event.

Gandhi also slammed Modi for demonetisation and the "Gabbar Singh Tax" (Congress' expansion for the term GST), describing them as two "horrific things" brought in by the BJP government.

"These decisions adversely hit the purchasing capacity of the people and rendered lakhs jobless," he said.

Gandhi slammed Modi on the Rafale deal and accused him of "failing" to keep his 2014 pre-poll promises, including providing jobs to two crore youths, remunerative prices for farmers' produce and depositing Rs 15 lakh into the bank accounts of every citizen.

"Now Modi does not talk about these promises, but the truth will come out before everyone," he said and dared the prime minister for a debate on corruption.