Sam Pitroda, Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress, insulted the victims of 1984 anti-Sikh riots by casually brushing aside the topic in a bid to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is not the first time when Pitroda has shrugged off a serious topic on a casual note. Earlier, he had insulted the Pulwama martyrs by trivializing the attack and towing Pakistan line by demanding proof of the Balakot airstrikes.
Pitroda, a close confidant and political mentor of Congress President Rahul Gandhi exposed his arrogant mindset by treating the victims of the riot with zero empathy. The deadly riots had transpired as an aftermath of the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. Unofficial estimates suggest that more than 8,000 Sikhs were killed in Delhi while government estimates put these figures at 2,800.
“Ab kya hai ’84 ka? Aapne kya kiya 5 saal mein, uski baat kariye. ’84 mein hua to hua. Aapne kya kiya? (now what about ’84? What did you do in 5 years, talk about that. What happened in ’84 had happened. What did you do?) You were voted to create jobs. You were voted to create 200 smart cities. Aapne wo bhi nahi kiya. Aapne kuch nahi kiya isliye aap yahan wahan gup lagate hain (you didn’t do that also. You didn’t do anything hence you are talking here and there)”, he said.
#WATCH Sam Pitroda: 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. Aapne wo bhi nahi kiya. Aapne kuch nahi kiya isliye aap yahan wahan gup lagate hain. pic.twitter.com/9SMMUW5Hll
— ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2019
During this election season, Pitroda has been repeatedly targeting PM Modi and the BJP. Recently, he had attacked the PM and said democracy was hijacked in the country.
Reacting to Sam Pitroda’s comment, BJP President Amit Shah tweeted, “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 these can be summed up in these three words by Sam Pitroda – Hua To Hua.”
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 #MurdererCongress for its sins. pic.twitter.com/ouYXeHJHlf
— Chowkidar Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 9, 2019
Pitroda’s insensitive statement is not only arrogant but insulting to the victims and their families who have been struggling to bring the guilty to books. Rajiv Gandhi is accused of orchestrating these riots that broke soon after his mother was shot dead.
According to senior advocate, H S Phoolka, Rajiv not only got the Sikhs killed but even rewarded the perpetrators of violence. He is accused of sending Jagdish Tytler, Sajjan Kumar, and Kamal Nath to the parliament and rewarding them with ministerial berths.
In line with his family legacy, Rahul Gandhi too rewarded one of the accused Kamal Nath with Chief Ministership of Madhya Pradesh in the recently concluded state elections.
Phoolka reminiscents, “Even Kamal Nath came to Rakab Ganj Gurdwara. Gurdwara was burned, two Sikhs were burned alive over there. Kamal Nath told the police that he was sent by the Prime Minister. It is in the police report that Kamal Nath came there and said he had been sent by the Prime Minister to see if any Hindu has been kept as a captive there. Despite the presence of Kamal Nath, the police fired on Sikhs inside the Gurdwara.”
Earlier, we had reported despite the Congress party’s repeated denial about the involvement of their leaders in the riots, victims have written to Rahul Gandhi expressing their anger against the party leadership. They have asserted that they would never be able to forgive Rajiv Gandhi and Congress.
Update 1: Sam Pitroda asks everyone to ‘move on’ from the ‘issue’ of 1984 Sikh Genocide
Update 2: NDTv reports, Rahul Gandhi has asked Sam Pitroda to apologize for the comment in an Interview with Ravish Kumar of NDTV.
