Defending Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh today lashed out at the SAD leadership for allegedly trying to distort Rahul's comments on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Amarinder said Rahul was not even remotely associated with the riots, and recalled that Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had expressed their regrets over the incident.
He lashed out at Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy Sukhbir Singh Badal for "distorting" Rahul's comments to a television channel yesterday where he admitted that "some Congress men were probably involved in 1984 anti-Sikh riots and they have been punished for it".
"Nothing can be more preposterous than the Akalis seeking Rahul Gandhi's apology for 1984 riots. He was a small boy of 13 years when the riots took place. How can you blame someone for something he is not even remotely associated with?" Amarinder asked, advising the Akalis against distorting and misinterpreting the honest and straightforward remarks made by the Congress vice-president.
"Should you be blamed for the sins of your ministerial and party colleagues?" Amarinder asked, adding, in that case Badal should be spending time in jail.
The former CM recalled that Sonia Gandhi had gone to Darbar Sahib with him twice and expressed regrets over the riots. Later, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had apologised in the Parliament, he said.
Amarinder also rapped BJP leaders for allegedly trying to justify the 2002 Gujarat riots with the 1984 one.
"One wrong cannot justify another wrong," he said, adding that if they had the moral courage, they should ask their Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to apologise in the same manner.
