New Delhi, May 10: A day after Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda brushed off the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, saying, "1984 mein hua to hua (It happened in 1984, so what?)", Congress President Rahul Gandhi rebuked his remarks. In a Facebook post, Rahul Gandhi said Sam Pitroda's comment was "out of line" and asked him to apologise. Gandhi added that the 194 riots were "terrible tragedy and should never have happened".

"I think what Sam Pitroda Ji said is completely out of line and he should apologise for it...What Mr. Sam Pitroda has said is absolutely and completely out of line and is not appreciated. I will be communicating this to him directly. He must apologise for his comment," Gandhi wrote. Asserting that justice should be done, the Congress chief added that perpetrators of anti-Sikh riots must be punished. PM Narendra Modi Hits Out at Congress Over Sam Pitroda's Remarks on 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots, BJP Protests. 

"I think 1984 was a needless tragedy that caused tremendous pain. I think justice has to be done. The people who were responsible for the 1984 tragedy have to be punished. The Former PM, Manmohan Singh Ji has apologised. My mother, Sonia Gandhi Ji has apologised. We all have made our position very clear - that 1984 was a terrible tragedy and should never have happened," Gandhi stated.

Rahul Gandhi's Facebook post on Sam Pitroda's remarks:

Asked for his response on the BJP's claim citing the Nanavati commission report that the instructions for the violence had come from late Rajiv Gandhi, Pitroda furiously told ANI, "I don’t think so, this is also another lie, and what about 1984? You speak about what you have done in five years. 1984 mein hua to hua. Aapne kya kiya?"

Pitroda apologised on Friday for his comment, saying his statement was taken out of context as his Hindi was not good. "The statement I made was completely twisted and taken out of context because my Hindi isn't good. What I meant was 'jo hua woh bura hua' (what happened was bad), but I could not translate 'bura' (bad) in my mind," Pitroda told reporters.

His apology came after BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Sikh organisations flayed him for his comment. "Congress has one more stain on it which can never be cleaned. Can Punjab ever forget 1984? Who is responsible for what happened then? For three decades injustice was meted out to my Sikh brothers and sisters, and now Congress has said 'hua to hua'," PM Modi said at a public meeting in Punjab.

Congress also issued a statement distancing itself from Pitroda's remarks. "Indian National Congress and its leadership have striven to ensure justice for 1984 riot victims. We continue to support the quest for justice and stern punishment for those found guilty of 1984 riots as also the subsequent acts of violence including the 2002 Gujarat riots. Any opinion or remark made by any individual to the contrary including Sam Pitroda is not the opinion of the Congress party. We advise all leaders to be careful and sensitive," the statement read.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 10, 2019 11:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).