Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday tore into Congress overseas advisor Sam Patroda for trivialising the 1984 riots. He lashed out at Pitroda for his ‘What happened in 1984, happened’ (84 mein hua toh hua) remark. Pitroda on Thursday had rejected BJP’s claims that the 1984 riots took place with former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s approval. Brushing off BJP’s claims Pitroda had said what happened in 1984, happened and hence the ruling government should talk about its work in the last five years.
This is the first time that PM Modi has attacked Congress overseas advisor Sam Pitroda in particular other than Congress President Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi. On Thursday at a rally in Rohtak, Haryana, the Prime Minister said Pitroda’s remarks summed up Congress’s arrogance about the riots. He said it reflects Congress’s mentality and criticised it for making Kamal Nath in charge of Punjab and then chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. Kamal Nath is also one of the accused in the 1984 riots.
The Prime Minister further added that Congress’s arrogance had got them 44 seats during 2014 elections and it will slip even further for the 2019 elections. He said Pitroda’s statement is reflective of party ideology and hence should not be taken as an individual’s statement.
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also shredded Pitroda for his remarks and said if Congress President Rahul Gandhi would remove his guru (teacher) from the party.
He added that Pitroda was reflective of the lack of remorse of the Congress party over the 1984 riots. While BJP, on the other hand, had cited the Nanavati Commission report to validate its claim that Rajiv Gandhi was complicit in the 1984 riots which had killed nearly 3,000 people. This was followed by the assassination of former PM Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguard on October 31, 1984.
BJP President Amit Shah too had attacked Pitroda and Congress saying the country will not forgive the party. He said the suffering of all those Sikh families killed by Congress leaders in 1984 was mocked by Pitroda’s three words Hua toh Hua (it happened, happened).
In 2013, speaking with Reuters, Modi, who was the then chief minister of Gujarat had said he felt sad about 2002 Godhra riots just as he would be sad if a puppy came under a car.
