Rahul Gandhi must explain Sam Pitroda's statements: Amit Shah

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on Saturday slamming Overseas Congress Committee incharge Sam Pitroda said that Congress president Rahul Gandhi should be held accountable for Pitroda's controversial statements made on Pulwama terror attack.

Shah said remarks made by Congress leaders is part of Congress chief's politics and hence distancing himself from the statements made by his party's leaders is not going to help Gandhi.

"Sidelining yourself from his (Sam Pitroda's) statements is not going to help Congress chief. The politics of distancing yourself is not going to work. The nation is watching. Rahul Gandhi should apologise for Sam Pitroda's statements and for disrespecting the families of the martyrs. There should be no delay in the apology," said Shah addressing press conference in New Delhi.

Naming several Congress leaders like BK Hariprasad, Kapil Sibal, P Chidambaram, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Shah said,"Statements made by these Congress leaders have been deemed to be their own opinions under Rahul Gandhi's leadership. Is Congress' chief not answerable for what his leaders say?"

Training his guns at Pitroda, for his statement on India carrying out surgical strikes in Pakistan, Shah said,"When Sam Pitroda says that talks are the solution, then should this also be taken as Congress' view on the subject? Pitroda said that actions of seven-eight people do not represent the entire nation. But does he not know that an entire has been functioning behind these people?"

"Congress chief should apologise. He is answerable for these remarks. He should clear what his stance is on Pitroda's remarks on Pulwama terror attack and on India's response to those attacks," said Shah.

In an apparent reference to the Pulwama terror attack, Pitroda on Friday had said attacks happen all the time and then referred to the Mumbai terror strikes in 2008 when the Congress-led UPA was in power, saying the then government could have sent its planes but that is "not the right approach".

He also sought more facts from the Modi government on Balakot air strikes last month while referring to international media reports questioning claims that over 300 terrorists were killed in the IAF action.