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Updated: May 11, 2020 19:12 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a sharp attack on Congress and its leader Sam Pitroda for his comments on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Modi said Pitroda’s comment shows the “character and arrogance” of the Congress.

“These words show Congress character and mentality. The three words (hua toh hua) are a display of their arrogance. This leader is close to the Gandhi family and a friend of Rajiv Gandhi. He is the guru of the Congress president,” PM Modi said at a rally in Rohtak on Friday.

The Prime Minister repeated the words “hua toh hua” and told the crowd at the rally that the true colours of the Congress were exposed.

Sam Pitroda, in charge of the Indian Overseas Congress, made the remarks on Thursday while replying to questions on the BJP’s claim that the 1984 riots took place on the orders of former PM Rajiv Gandhi.

“I don’t think so, this is also another lie, and what about 1984? You speak about what you have done in five years. It happened in 1984, so what? (1984 hua toh hua). What have you done?,” Pitroda was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

On Friday, Pitroda accused the BJP of “twisting his words and distorting facts” to “hide their failures”. “I acknowledged the pain of my Sikh brothers and sisters during difficult times in 1984 and deeply feel for the atrocities that happened. But these are things from past that are not really relevant to this election which is all about what did Modi government do for the last five years,” Pitroda tweeted.

The BJP had hit out at Pitroda for his comments and demanded an apology and a resignation. Union finance minister Arun Jaitley tweeted asking Congress president Rahul Gandhi if he will “oust his Guru”.