Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi stated that Rajiv Gandhi’s win in 1984 was clean and that he had not used his power to “spread fear or destroy democracy”. Soon after, Sonia was slammed by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)
New Delhi: Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday (August 22) made a veiled attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, by saying that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, too, had won a full majority in the 1984 Lok Sabha election but he "never used the powers to create an atmosphere of fear or destroy the freedom and liberty of the people".
Sonia was addressing a gathering of leaders and party workers at an event that marked Rajiv's 75th birth anniversary. The event was organised at KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.
Sonia didn’t name PM Modi in her speech but said, "Rajiv Gandhi came to power in 1984 but he never used powers to create an atmosphere of fear or to destroy the freedom and liberty of the people. He never used his power to put the principles of democracy in danger."
Sonia said that the Congress party needs to stand up and confront "those who are determined to destroy those values".
Hitting out at Sonia, the Shriomani Akali Dal (SAD) said on Thursday during the tenure of Rajiv as prime minister people were "rewarded" to kill, terrorise and humiliate Sikhs in the country.
Referring to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, SAD's national spokesperson Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, "No action was initiated against Congress leaders Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish Tytler and others who incited people and executed plans to eliminate Sikhs."
He said before levelling any allegations at the BJP-led government, Sonia should remember that during Rajiv's government from 1984 to 1989 "persons were rewarded to kill, terrorise and humiliate Sikhs in the country".
Appreciating PM Modi's dispensation, of which SAD is also a part of, Sirsa said those who had "tossed the turbans of Sikhs” in the national capital now have to face the music. He said gone are the days when nobody would speak against "butchers of Sikhs", leave aside action against them.
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