Mohali, May 11, 2019 (Yes Punjab News)
Condemning the remarks made by Sam Pitroda on anti-Sikh riots, former union minister and Congress national spokesperson Manish Tewari today said, “these remarks were outrageous, irresponsible and insensitive”.
At the same time, Tewari condemned the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for blowing the issue out of proportion and opening the old wounds for petty electoral gains.
“I am shocked to see such comments by Pitroda, as these lack sensitivity towards a macabre incident like anti-Sikh riots”, Tewari said in an informal interaction with reporters after addressing a public meeting in Kharar today.
Wondering how could someone like Pitroda be so dismissive of such a heinous crime against humanity, the Congress spokesperson regretted that when the entire Congress party right from Ms Sonia Gandhi to Dr Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi were trying to heal the old wounds and had expressed regrets and apologies in the past, he (Pitroda) had unfortunately scratched the old wounds. “It is not just unacceptable, it is highly condemnable and no sensible person in general and the Congressman in particular can condone it”, he asserted.
“There can be no defence, whatsoever, for such comments, which only betray the ignorance, insensitivity and irresponsibility of someone, who is holding an important position in the party”, Tewari said, while referring to Pitroda’s defence that he could not translate his words in Hindi properly.
“1984 anti-Sikh riots are a blot on humanity and Indian secularism in particular when innocent Sikhs in Delhi were killed and burnt alive in a most brutal way, how can one be so dismissive about it?” he asked, while adding, no responsible Congressman can and should stay in his comfort zone till the last culprit is not punished.
Tewari, at the same time, condemned the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for blowing out of proportion the statement of one Congress leader, who does not even stay in India, and taking high moral ground. He said, while the BJP is trying to take credit for getting one person, Sajjan Kumar convicted, there are at least fifty other culprits of the riots who were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in the trial and prosecutions conducted during the Congress regime. “Mr Modi must not play with the emotions of people and revive the tragic and painful memories people are trying to move past from, for petty electoral gains”, he remarked.
