New Delhi [India], November 12 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Tarun Chugh on Thursday accused Indian Overseas Congress Chairman Sam Pitroda of “rubbing salt into Sikhs’ wounds” over his remarks on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, alleging that he was attempting to defend the Gandhi family and justify the violence.
Reacting to Pitroda’s comments, Chugh said that the Congress party had provided shelter to those accused in the riots and had failed to address the suffering of the victims. He also criticised Pitroda for suggesting that the incident had taken place 40 years ago and should be forgotten.
“Sam Pitroda is rubbing salt into Sikhs’ wounds to save the Gandhi family and justify the anti-Sikh riots. He said it happened 40 years ago, so forget about it. Thousands of homes were destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of people were displaced. Instead of providing treatment, the Congress party is sprinkling ointment on the wounds. Congress has given shelter to those criminals. Congress played this dirty game for 30 years. Today, the guilty are starting to go to jail. Congress held a memorial service for Sajjan Kumar after his death,” Chugh told ANI.
Pitroda had earlier rejected the BJP’s criticism of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s newly released memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, describing the attacks as an outcome of “baseless political insecurity”.
Speaking to ANI, Pitroda said the memoir was a personal account of Sonia Gandhi’s life and experiences rather than a political document. He also rejected allegations that the book attempted to “whitewash” controversial historical episodes, including the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the Emergency and the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
“The BJP unfortunately sees everything through the lens of political rivalry. Sonia ji’s memoir is not a political pamphlet or an election document; it is an honest journey of a woman who came to India out of love, embraced the nation with complete dedication, and endured monumental personal tragedies,” Pitroda said.
Defending the memoir's account of difficult periods in India's history, Pitroda said Sonia Gandhi had written about the pain, isolation and choices faced during complex times.
“Mrs Gandhi has written from the core of her heart. She has spoken about the pain, the isolation, and the difficult choices made during very complex times in India's history. To reduce her authentic voice to 'whitewashing' only exposes the ruling party's lack of empathy and utter disrespect for someone who gave her family to the service of the nation,” he said.
Pitroda also recalled former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's role in India's early technology and telecommunications initiatives, describing him as a pioneer who recognised the potential of computing and digital connectivity in the 1980s.
He further defended Sonia Gandhi's decision to decline the prime ministership in 2004, saying it reflected her moral conviction and willingness to stay away from power.
The memoir, published by HarperCollins in India, went on sale on Tuesday. It traces Sonia Gandhi's journey from her childhood in post-war Italy and her relationship with Rajiv Gandhi at Cambridge to her life in India and the personal losses that shaped her bond with the country, including the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.