Rahul can't be held responsible for anti-Sikh riots: Chidambaram
Kolkata, Aug 25 : Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday backed Rahul Gandhi for his comments in UK on the anti-Sikh riots in 1984, saying the party president had not absolved anyone for the gruesome incidents.
Interacting with the media here, Chidambaram said former prime minister Manmohan Singh and ex-party president Sonia Gandhi have already apologised for the "terrible thing" that took place 34 years back after the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi by two of her bodyguards.
Chidambaram also asked those criticising Gandhi for his remarks to go through the full text of his speech posted on the Congress website.
"Congress was in office in 1984, nobody is denying that. And a terrible thing happened in 1984 for which Manmohan Singh had apologised in Parliament. We are not saying that the Congress is absolved.
"Mrs (Sonia) Gandhi has also apologised and on numerous occasions, some of us have also said what happened in 1984 was a terrible thing."
"Now, you can't hold Rahul Gandhi responsible for that - he was 13 or 14 years of age then... He has not absolved anyone. What Rahul Gandhi has said is there is on the AICC website. The full text is there," said Chidambaram.
Responding to a question in the UK about the 1984 riots, Gandhi on Friday said: "I have no confusion in my mind about that. It was a tragedy, it was a painful experience. You say that the Congress party was involved in that, I don't agree with that. Certainly there was violence, certainly there was tragedy."
Queried about Gandhi drawing comparison between the RSS and Islamist fundamentalist group Muslim Brotherhood, Chidambaram asked journalists to go through the full text of the speech.
When a reporter asked him about the BJP's criticism about Gandhi analysing the country's internal affairs on foreign soil, Chidambarm shot back: "You should have asked this question when (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi addressed a gathering at Maddison Square garden and other places."
On criticisms by the BJP on Rahul Gandhi commenting on the country's internal issues on foreign soil, he said these questions should be first asked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"You should have asked this question when Narendra Modi had addressed a huge NRI gathering at Maddison Square in the US. Did you ask this question?" Chidambaram said.
He said there was a 'very realistic chance' of the opposition parties coming together before next year's general elections. "And if I may volunteer, there is a very realistic chance that the opposition parties will win the elections."
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'Will do whatever the party asks me to': Shivakumar on Odisha Cong MLAs camping in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday said though he had not brought the Congress MLAs from Odisha to Bengaluru ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections in that state, he will follow the party's directives.
His remarks come after a group of Odisha Congress legislators were moved to Bengaluru amid apprehensions of cross-voting in the March 16 biennial election.
According to party insiders, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress president D K Shivakumar oversaw the logistical arrangements for their stay in the city.
The legislators are currently staying at the resort facility of an amusement park, located about 35 kms from Bengaluru.
Congress sources said the MLAs are expected to remain there until Monday morning before returning to Bhubaneswar to participate in the voting for the Rajya Sabha election.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said he did not bring them, though he will do whatever the party leadership asks him to.
“Look, whatever the party asks us to do, we must do. These things are happening in every state across the country; it’s nothing new. Since they (Odisha MLAs) have come, I will meet them. They asked me for time, but I told them not to come here (Vidhana Soudha) because the Assembly session is going on. I said I would come after finishing the Assembly work,” the Deputy CM said.
According to party sources, around eight MLAs from the party’s Odisha unit were flown from Bhubaneswar to Bengaluru late on Thursday night and have been accommodated at a resort on the outskirts of the city.
Six more legislators from Odisha along with their Congress Odisha unit president will be reaching Bengaluru in the night.
The move, party insiders said, is aimed at ensuring unity among the legislators in the run-up to the election.
Sources added that the decision was taken as a precautionary measure after the BJP fielded a second candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat, triggering intense political manoeuvring in the state.
“There were concerns about possible cross-voting and attempts to influence MLAs. As a safeguard, the leadership decided to move them out of the state until the voting,” a Congress functionary said.
“Six more MLAs and their party president are expected to arrive in Bengaluru by Friday night.”
The Congress currently has 14 MLAs in the Odisha Assembly and requires additional support to ensure the success of its Rajya Sabha nominee.
Sources said the party leadership feared possible political bargaining and inducements involving legislators from different parties ahead of the poll.
