Sam Pitroda sorry after PM Narendra Modi roast, Congress snub

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP launching a blistering attack, and his own party chief distancing itself from him, Congress leader Sam Pitroda on Friday swallowed his words over the 1984 riots – "Haan, hua toh hua [Yes, it happened, so what]".

PM Modi led from the front to slam the Congress and Pitroda. Addressing a rally in Haryana's Rohtak district, which goes to polls on Sunday, he said, "Their minds are filled with arrogance. Yesterday, this was described in just three words. Congress has been so insensitive, this was indicated in those three words. They were not uttered out of the blue. These words reflect the character, mentality and intent of the Congress. What were those three words? Hua toh Hua."

Modi then targeted Pitroda. "This senior leader is the closest aide of the Gandhi family. He is around them day and night..he is also their biggest confidante and was a friend of Rajiv Gandhi and now he is Rahul Gandhi's guru."

(BJP workers stage a protest against Congress leader Sam Pitroda over his remarks on anti-Sikh riots, in Delhi on Friday —BB Yadav/DNA)

Pitroda said his statement was blown out of proportion and attributed the controversy to his poor Hindi. "I wanted to say move on. We have other issues to discuss as to what BJP government did and what it delivered...I wanted to say jo hua vo bura hua, I could not translate bura in my mind," Pitroda told a news agency.

Amid protests by Sikh groups in New Delhi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi too condemned Pitroda. "I think 1984 was a needless tragedy that caused tremendous pain. 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 in a Facebook post.

Earlier in the day, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh too criticized Pitroda's statement. "I totally don't accept that statement. It is the duty of successive government to find out who was behind it and how the riots happened," he said.

During the day, the Delhi unit of the BJP took out a procession against Pitroda and demanded an apology from him. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley tweeted that it was a matter of disgrace that the party did not show any remorse and wondered if Rahul Gandhi would oust hus Guru for his remarks.

Along with Haryana, all of Punjab will vote on May 12.