SAD is distorting Rahul comments, says Capt

Wednesday, 29/01/2014

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Chandigarh : Former chief minister and permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee Capt Amarinder Singh, on Tuesday, lashed out at the Shiormani Akali Dal (SAD) leadership, particularly Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his Deputy Chief Minister son Sukhbir Badal for what he alleged as “trying to distort” the comments of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on 1984 anti-Sikh riots in an interview to a television channel on Monday.

In a statement issued here, Amarinder said that nothing can be more preposterous than the Akalis seeking Rahul Gandhi’s apology for 1984 riots.

He pointed out that Rahul Gandhi was a small boy of 13 years when the riots took place. “How can you blame someone for something he is not even remotely associated with?” he asked, while advising the Akalis not to “distort and misinterpret honest and straightforward remarks made by Rahul Gandhi.”

He said the Akalis should rather acknowledge that Rahul Gandhi had been fair in his interview by not shying away from the issue and not defending any of the accused.

“Should you be blamed for the sins of your ministerial and party colleagues?” Amarinder asked Badal.

Moreover, the CWC member pointed out that Congress president Sonia Gandhi went to Darbar Sahib with him twice first when he was the PPCC president and later as the Chief Minister where she expressed deep regrets over what happened in 1984. Later, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh apologised in the Parliament, he recalled.

He also rapped the BJP leaders for trying to justify what happened in Gujarat in 2002 with 1984 riots.

“One wrong cannot justify another wrong,” he remarked.

‘Action has been taken’
New Delhi: Congress on Tuesday fully backed Rahul Gandhi on his remarks on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and on issues of transparency and corruption while the opposition attacked him on his views in an interview to a TV channel.

Party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said while the post- Godhra court cases had to be transferred from Gujarat for justice, a large number of convictions did take place in the anti-Sikh riots cases. “Criminal law does not make a distinction between common people and the leaders of political parties... 482 convictions took place in the 1984 riots. The political career of a number of very senior Congress leaders was affected (because of the riots). Apart from apology, there has been a reconciliation for the last 20-30 years,” he said.

To repeated questions about some party MPs who were named in the 1984 riots case, Singhvi said, “Political action has also taken place,” although he did not name anybody. Congress had refused Lok Sabha tickets to Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar in 2009 general elections following allegations of them having played a role in the 1984 riots.

Responding to questions about the action taken against Congress leaders who were “involved” in the anti-Sikh riots, Singhvi said that while many had already been penalised, the process was still on to fix responsibility.