BJP twisting my words to distort facts, hide their failures: Sam Pitroda on comment over 1984 anti-Sikh riots

Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of twisting his statement on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Congress leader Sam Pitroda on Friday said the saffron party is distorting facts to hide their failures. The Congress leader reaffirmed that he had acknowledged the pain of Sikhs during the anti-Sikh riots in 1984. 

A row erupted after Pitroda, commenting on the riots, said "it happened in 1984, so what?" 

The statement came as Pitroda was responding to BJP's claim that instructions to "kill" in 1984 had come from late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. 

In a series of tweets, Pitroda on Friday said, "I have noticed how BJP is again twisting three words from my interview to distort facts, divide us and hide their failures. Sad that they have nothing positive to offer. I acknowledged the pain of my Sikh brothers and sisters during difficult times in 1984 and deeply feel for the atrocities that happened. But these are things from past that are not really relevant to this election which is all about what did Modi government do for the last five years."

He went on to say that the BJP is attacking Congress with such "lies" as it has no vision to take India forward.

Also Read | Not contesting against PM Modi in Varanasi was Priyanka Gandhi's decision: Sam Pitroda

"Rajiv Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will never target a group of people based on creed. BJP is talking about these issues and attacking Congress leaders with lies because they can not talk about their performance and have no vision to take India forward to inclusively growth and prosperity for all with focus on jobs, kids and more jobs," he said in another tweet.

On Thursday, the BJP demanded an apology from Pitroda for his comments on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. 

Taking to Twitter, BJP President Amit Shah said, "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."

Union minister Prakash Javadekar said Pitroda's comments were "shocking" and nobody could have expected it.

"He (Pitroda) said 1984 genocide happened. So what? This is completely unacceptable to the country and we cannot allow this to sustain," Javadekar said.

The BJP, on Thursday, cited the Nanavati Commission report and had said "instructions to kill" came directly from then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's office.

"It's on record of Nanavati Commission that probed the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the biggest genocide of India in which the government killed its own citizens, that instructions to kill came directly from the then PM Rajiv Gandhi's office. The country awaits justice for this karma," the party had tweeted from its official handle.

Rubbishing the allegations, Pitroda said, "I don't think so, this is also another lie, and what about 1984? You speak about what you have done in five years. It happened in 1984, so what? (1984 hua toh hua). What have you done? (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. You have not even done that. You have not done anything that is why you keep talking here and there," he added.

Meanwhile, referring to upcoming elections in Delhi, Pitroda on Friday said, "For all those who would be voting on May 12th and 19th I want to remind that the phones and computers you use is because PM Rajiv Gandhi in mid 1980s provided political will, policies, leadership, wisdom and needed funding to build foundation & platform to connect India."

"Rajiv Gandhi took many bold initiatives to plant seeds for technology missions on water, literacy, immunization, cooking oil, milk production, and telecom. Today we have eradicated polio and we are the largest producer of milk. He introduced panchayat Raj and many novel schemes," he wrote on Twitter. 

Watch TV Coverage