Rahul Gandhi was in school during 1984 Sikh riots: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh

Launching a scathing attack on Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday said his remark on Congress president Rahul Gandhi on the issue of the 1984 Sikh riots was unwarranted and uncalled for.

Reacting to the SAD president's statement that Gandhi was a `partner` in the crime during the 1984 riots, the chief minister said Gandhi was in school at the time of Operation Bluestar. "To blame him for anything was absurd. To hold Rahul Gandhi responsible for an act which he was not even aware of at the time it happened was ridiculous," Amarinder Singh said in a statement in Chandigarh.

Singh said, "The Congress, as a party, was never involved in the riots that continue to haunt the Sikh community. If any individual was involved, he or she would be dealt with as per the law. To blame the entire party for the acts of a few was preposterous and typical of the political immaturity of Sukhbir Singh," the Chief Minister said.

Amarinder Singh said Rahul Gandhi`s latest comments need to be seen in context with his earlier statements on the 1984 riots, wherein he himself had named some Congressmen. The CM said Rahul Gandhi had condemned all violence, including the 1984 riots, and called for strict punishment to the guilty. "It is unfortunate that due to delays caused by the judicial system, justice had been denied to many victims of the 1984 riots," Amarinder Singh added.