Congress President Rahul Gandhi in a panel at International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), in London on Friday.
The Bharatiya Janata Party yet again launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi's remarks on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in UK. BJP's national secretary R P Singh said Gandhi was trying to wash his party's hands of its alleged culpability in the riots, which had broken out following the assassination of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi.
Gandhi, who was on a two-day visit to the UK, told an audience of UK-based parliamentarians and local leaders on Saturday that the incident was a tragedy and painful experiences, but disagreed with the view that the Congress was "involved".
Singh said, Sikhs are already troubled due to lack of justice and such comments by Gandhi would vitiate the atmosphere and may push certain people in the same cycle of violence that was seen in 1980s.
The Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) leader said Congress leader Manmohan Singh had as prime minister apologised for anti-Sikh riots and the then party president Sonia Gandhi had expressed regret.
"What was this apology from prime minister and regret from Congress president then all about," Singh asked.
The Congress was forced to cancel its leader Kamal Nath's appointment as Punjab assembly polls in-charge following angry reaction from the community, whose members have alleged his involvement in the violence, he added.
Earlier on Friday, RP Singh had lashed out on the Congress scion for Gandhi for invoking Guru Nanak Dev, the first Sikh guru during his address in Berlin. BJP added that Congress party is identified with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and as its president Rahul Gandhi should apologise for the 'heinous' crime at the Golden Temple. "We are pained to know that Gandhi, who reminds us of anti-Slkh riots of 1984, claims that his thoughts resemble to the first Sikh guru -- Guru Nanak Devji. Actually his thoughts are in line with Congress culture of divide and rule," Singh said on Friday.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) also hit out at Congress president over his remarks on 1984 anti-Sikh riots, saying by disagreeing with the view his party was involved in the "genocide", he had "rubbed the salt into the wounds" of the Sikh community.
Hitting out at the Congress president, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal alleged that Gandhi was trying to protect those Congress leaders who were involved in the "genocide".
"Rahul Gandhi has rubbed salt into the wounds of Sikh 'quom' (community) by saying that Congress was not involved in 1984 anti Sikh riots," Badal told reporters in Chandigarh on Saturday, adding, "It shows the thinking of Gandhi towards Sikh community."
