BJP mounts attack on Rahul Gandhi over 1984 Sikh riots remarks

New Delhi, Aug 27: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Sambit Patra on Monday took a dig at the Congress chief saying Rahul and Responsibility never go together.

Patra's statement comes a day after Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh defended Rahul Gandhi and said the Congress, as a party, had not been involved in the carnage.

In a series of tweets, Patra said,"Congress defends Rahul saying he was in school when 1984 anti Sikh riots happened, so is unaware. But very conveniently he appears to have done a thesis on Father of Nation, Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. Was He a Post Graduate student then?"

"Rahul and Responsibility never go together. From "congressmen involved" in 2013 to "Congress not involved" in 2018 this is how Rahul Gandhi tries to rub salt on the wounds of the 1984 victims," he tweeted.

Patra further said," Rahul had said recently 'I am Congress, I am Love' Rahul ji ..Yes your family is Congress and it epitomised hatredfor Sikhs in 1984."

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday came out in defence of Rahul Gandhi who had claimed that Congress had no role in 1984 Anti Sikh Riots.

"To hold Rahul (Gandhi) responsible for an act which he wasn't even aware of at the time it happened was completely ridiculous," ANI quoted Singh as saying. The Punjab CM also seconded Gandhi's views that Congress, as a party, was never involved in the riots.

Rahul Gandhi was in school when the Operation Blue Star and later the riots took place, Amarinder Singh said adding 'whosoever was involved' in the senseless killings in 1984 should be "hanged".

Former Union minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram too defended Rahul, while saying, "We are not absolving the Congress."

Chidambaram said Gandhi could not be held responsible for something that took place when he was 13-14 years.

"The Congress was in office in 1984, nobody is denying that. Now, you can't hold Rahul Gandhi responsible for that - he was 13 or 14 years of age then... He has not absolved anyone," he said.

Rahul Gandhi, during his two-day visit to London, had told an audience of UK-based parliamentarians and local leaders in London on Friday that the incident was a "very painful tragedy", but disagreed with the view that the Congress was involved.