Congress distances itself from Pitroda's 1984 anti-Sikh riots

New Delhi, May 10: Congress on Friday distanced itself from comments of its top leader Sam Pitroda on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, saying "remarks made by any individual" and cautioned its leaders to be careful.

"Any remark made by any individual is certainly not the opinion of the party," the Congress said.

"We advise all leaders of our party to be careful. Justice has to be done for 1984 as well as 2002 riots," the party added in its statement. "The BJP is not interested in justice but to exploit the riots for votes."

"We believe that justice should be done to 1984 riots victims as also to 2002 Gujarat riots victims," the statement reads.

In an apparent dig to Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat Sadhvi Pragya Thakur Singh, the Congress said the BJP has fielded a candidate charged with terror crimes.

"Lastly, unlike the BJP, which has decided to field a candidate charged with terror crimes and is being lauded as its face by none less than Shri Narendra Modi himself, Congress party has shown the moral and political courage to punish people and leaders accused of violence/role in 1984. This is the yardstick of self-imposed accountability and sense of justice to people followed by the Congress party, unlike the BJP," the grand old party said in the statement.

The clarification comes amid mounting pressure from the BJP which is demanding Congress president Rahul Gandhi to "oust his Guru" for the remark.

On Thursday, Sam Pitroda, the Indian Overseas Congress chief, had made the comment when he was asked about the BJP's claim that the Nanavati Commission that probed the 1984 carnage had recorded that "instructions to kill" came directly from the office of then PM Rajiv Gandhi.