Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has accepted responsibility for the party&rsquo;s past actions during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, acknowledging the historical wrongs committed by the Congress.&nbsp;
Speaking at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University in the United States two weeks ago, Gandhi responded to sharp criticism from a Sikh student during a public interaction.
The student questioned Gandhi about the Congress party&rsquo;s alleged complicity in the violence that erupted following the assassination of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The riots resulted in the deaths of over 3,000 Sikhs, primarily in Delhi.&nbsp;
&ldquo;You create a fear among Sikhs about what BJP would look like&hellip; We want freedom of expression, which has not been allowed under the Congress Party in the past,&rdquo; the student remarked, referring to Gandhi&rsquo;s previous comments on religious freedom under BJP rule.
He also brought up the Anandpur Sahib Resolution, claiming that it had been inaccurately portrayed by Congress as a separatist manifesto. The student criticised the party&rsquo;s continued failure to address Sikh concerns and cited the conviction of former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar as evidence of ongoing impunity, stating, &ldquo;Many more Sajjan Kumars are sitting in Congress Party.&rdquo;
Responding to these points, Gandhi reiterated his condemnation of the 1984 violence. &ldquo;I have publicly stated that what happened in the 80s was wrong. I have been to the Golden Temple multiple times. I have extremely good relationships with the Sikh community in India,&rdquo; he said.
He further stated that although many of the Congress&rsquo;s mistakes occurred before his time in politics, he was willing to assume responsibility for the party&rsquo;s historical actions. &ldquo;As far as the mistakes of the Congress Party are concerned, a lot of those happened when I was not there, but I am more than happy to take responsibility for everything the Congress party has ever done wrong in its history,&rdquo; he said.
The 1984 riots remain a deeply contentious issue in Indian politics. The violence followed Operation Blue Star, in which the Indian Army entered the Golden Temple in Amritsar to remove separatist leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.&nbsp;
The military operation caused lasting resentment within the Sikh community and ultimately led to Indira Gandhi&rsquo;s assassination by her Sikh bodyguards, which then triggered widespread anti-Sikh violence.
BJP leaders were swift in reacting to the exchange. Senior BJP leader Amit Malviya commented that the Sikh student had &ldquo;reminded Rahul Gandhi of the unfounded fear-mongering he engaged in during his last visit to the US,&rdquo; describing the encounter as &ldquo;unprecedented&rdquo; and claiming that Gandhi is now being &ldquo;ridiculed not just in India, but around the world." 
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During a session at Brown University, Rahul Gandhi admitted to Congress’s past mistakes, including 1984 riots

Rahul Gandhi Confronted, Owns Up to Party’s Past

During a session at Brown University, Rahul Gandhi admitted to Congress’s past mistakes, including 1984 riots

May 4, 2025 | 16:23 IST