Friday, March 29, 2024

Slapped with FIR, Pitroda has put Congress in a spot

Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, Bhartiya Janata Party’s spokesperson of Delhi unit, has lodged an FIR (First Information Report) against Satyan Gangaram Pitroda alias Sam Pitroda on Friday  ‘for giving a video statement to the news agency ANI, stating – “1984 mein hua to hua” (it happened in 1984 then so what) regarding 1984 mass Sikh killings in the Capital. ’

Bagga charged in his FIR that Sam Pitroda made the statement with the sole purpose of ‘insulting and outraging religious feelings’ of the people belonging to the Sikh community, to promote disharmony, enmity, hatred and ill-will amongst different  religious groups, to provoke and breach of peace by giving provocation and to severally insult religious beliefs of Sikhs and hence the above named accused person (Sam Pitroda) has intentionally committed offences under Section 295-A, 153, 504 and 504 of Indian Penal Code, amongst others.

Meanwhile, National Commission for Minorities has sent a notice to Sam Pitroda and asked him not only to explain his position but also tender an unconditional apology to Sikh community. 

Earlier, Sam Pitroda, in response to BJP’s claim that ‘instructions to kill Sikhs’ in 1984 came from the office of the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Pitroda responded by saying, “This is another lie, and what about 1984? 1984 me hua toh hua.”

Comments have not only taken Congress on the backfoot but handed over fresh ammunition to BJP.  There have been demands from various quarters asking Congress President Rahul Gandhi to sack Pitroda.  Slamming Congress, Amit Shah, BJP President said, “Agony of the entire Sikh community, sufferings of the Sikh families killed by Congress leaders in 1984, attack on Delhi’s secular ethos, all summed up in these three words by Sam Pitroda – Hua to Hua.”

Union minister and BJP leader Prakash Javadekar said, “Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi must apologize for Pitroda’s irresponsible statement.” He claimed that Punjab Chief Minister Amrinder Singh, who resigned from Congress in 1984, has admitted that Congress leaders like Arjun Singh, HKL Bhagat, Lalit Maken and Sajjan Kumar and one minster, were all responsible for killings.

In an exclusive interview with Republic TV, while responding to ‘Hua toh Hua’ remark by Sam Pitroda, Amrinder Singh said, “I don’t know what Sam Pitroda has said and in what context he said. But it is sad, a terrible thing, in fact, what happened. Nobody knows how many people were killed in that massacre that took place after the assassination of the Prime Minister.”

The opinion of Amrinder Singh matters for the Congress Party as the elections are due on May 12th, 2019 and Congress was seen on a firm feet there in Punjab and the Chief Minister, who defeated Union Minister Arun Jaitley in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, from Amritsar, holds the key. But the remarks by Sam Pitroda, just in the nick of polling may deliver a severe blow to Congress in Punjab as well as in Delhi also, which has a sizeable Sikh population.  

Amrinder Singh added, “It was certainly sad, the authorities of the time, the military, the police all have to be questioned. Even today you don’t forget to think because it has gone in the past. I have named the culprits ample number of times. They are all Delhi politicians.”

Actually, Pitroda has scored a self-goal earlier also in the month of March, this year when he blamed the Modi government for Balakot “surgical strike” in retaliation to Pulwana terrorist attack. In the same breath Pitroda made unimaginable comments about 26/11 Mumbai attacks. He had said, “The attacks happen all the time. The attacks happened in Mumbai too, on 26/11. We could have reacted and sent our planes but this is not the right approach. If eight people come and do something, you cannot just jump on the entire nation, I don’t believe in that. It would be naïve to blame the entire nation for Pulwama attacks.”

Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal and his wife and Union leader Harsimrat Kaur said the comments made by Pitroda were disgraceful and they reflect the mindset of Congress.

It may be recalled that while talking to Arnab Goswami, Rahul Gandhi, in a TV interview, had admitted, “some Congress leaders were probably involved in the killings of Sikhs in 1984”.

 

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