Modi, Congress in ugly war of words over ’84 anti-Sikh riots

On a day when Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s met President Pranab Mukherjee to discuss concerns over “rising intolerance”,  a war of words erupted as Prime Minister Prime Minister Narendra Modi revisited the 1984 anti-Sikh riots issue asking the Congress to “stop lecturing on tolerance”, with the Congress rebutting his claim.

Raking up the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the Congress should hang its head in shame for the carnage instead of doing the “drama” of lecturing the NDA government. 

“Today is November 2. Do you recall 1984? Lakhs of Sikhs were massacred in Delhi and across India on the second, third and fourth day of Indira Gandhi’s killing, in which serious allegations were made against the Congress and its leaders. Today, on the same day, Congress party is giving lecture on the issue of tolerance.”

“The tears in the eyes of the Sikh victims have not yet dried. Their wounds have not healed and you are doing this ‘dramebaazi’ on November 2,” said Modi, while addressing an election rally in Seemanchal region of Bihar.

The Congress hit back saying like in 2002 post-Godhra violence, Modi has “forgotten Rajdharma” in 2015 too as he was an “endorser of intolerance by his studied silence” over acts of hate and violence. 

“The Prime Minister’s statement is politically motivated and mischievous and is only aimed at reopening the wounds after 31 years,” Congress senior spokesman Anand Sharma told reporters on Monday.

Sharma regretted that the Prime Minister has “chosen not to respond” to concerns of people belonging to cross-sections of society who do not belong to any political party. 

“He should act as Prime Minister of India, he should not be thinking or acting like a BJP leader or a RSS pracharak. He should fulfill his constitutional and moral duty as India’s Prime Minister” added Sharma.

Noting that Modi invokes former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee every now and then, he said that in 2002 he (Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister) had forgotten Vajpayee’s message of “raj dharma” after the communal riots.  “Like in 2002, Modi has forgotten raj dharma in 2015,” he said alleging that the Prime Minister is an “endorser of intolerance by his studied silence.”

“The Prime Minister cannot be given the certificate of excellence on this front. He is all-powerful and not that helpless,” he added.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday evening called upon President Pranab Mukherjee on the issue of “rising intolerance” in the country. 

While Sonia along with party vice president Rahul Gandhi, members of extended Congress working committee, AICC office bearers and Congress MPs will lead a protest march from Parliament House to Rashtrapati Bhawan on Tuesday afternoon to mark their resentment on the issue.