"I wasn't there but I take responsibility", Rahul Gandhi on 1984 anti-Sikh riots during US visit
Babushahi Bureau
Rhode Island (US), May 4, 2025: Senior Congress leader and Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi, during a recent event at Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, made a candid admission about the Congress party’s role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
The statement came in response to a pointed question from a young Sikh attendee, which momentarily shifted the tone of the program to a serious and emotional note.
The young Sikh questioned Rahul Gandhi directly about the 1984 anti-Sikh violence and Operation Blue Star, accusing the Congress party of consistently ignoring Sikh rights. He reminded Gandhi of his previous statements and accused the party of avoiding accountability while attempting to instill fear of the BJP among the Sikh community.
“We don’t just want the right to wear a turban or a kara,” said the youth. “We want the freedom of expression that we were denied under Congress rule.” Referring to the Anandpur Sahib Resolution, he added, “Congress defamed it as a separatist document, even though it spoke about the rights of Dalits as well.”
Citing the example of former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar—convicted in connection with the 1984 riots—the attendee claimed, “There are many more Sajjan Kumars still sitting within the Congress party.”
He pressed Rahul Gandhi to clarify whether he would continue to use fear of the BJP as a political strategy or take real steps to rebuild trust with the Sikh community.
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Rahul Gandhi’s Response: "I Wasn't There, But I Take Responsibility"
In response, Rahul Gandhi acknowledged the pain and wrongdoing associated with the 1984 events. “Many mistakes were made in 1984 when I wasn’t there,” he said. “But I am prepared to take responsibility for every mistake in the Congress party’s history.”
He assured the audience that Sikhs should not feel afraid and that India must be a country where everyone feels free to express their religion without discomfort. “What I said is: Do we want an India where people feel uneasy to express their faith?”
Gandhi added that he has visited the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) multiple times and emphasized his good relations with the Sikh community in India.
The exchange highlighted the continued emotional and political weight of 1984 in contemporary Indian politics and reflected growing demands from the Sikh diaspora for meaningful acknowledgment and justice.