One has to give it to Media for their relentless pursuit to crucify Modi.
After Supreme Court refrained from passing any order on a petition seeking Narendra Modi's prosecution for the 2002 riot, Gujarat riot cottage industry has lost all legal grounds to vilify Modi. Having lost Legal ground, now they have started a new line of argument which hinges on Moral ground. And often quoted example is congress apology to Sikhs for 1984 riot.
It is important, we understand what did PM Manmohan Singh actually said and what he did not say
The so called apology came during an intervention in a discussion on an Opposition-sponsored motion in Rajya Sabha on the Nanavati Commission's report. Manmohan Singh said on 11 August 2005 (21 years after actual incident).
I have no hesitation in apologizing not only to the Sikh community but the whole Indian nation because what took place in 1984 is the negation of the concept of nationhood and what enshrined in our Constitution. So, I am not standing on any false prestige. On behalf of our Government, on behalf of the entire people of this country, I bow my head in shame that such thing took place.
I can only conclude by saying that all of us should ask forgiveness of those who have suffered in this tragedy.
So lets try to decipher what he actually said. Initially, He says
“I have no hesitation in apologizing”
Is PM Manmohan Singh asking forgiveness on personal capacity or as PM of the country? In any case, he was not the one who led or motivated the Sikh riots. It was then congress PM Rajiv Gandhi who gave moral ground by saying "When a giant tree falls, the earth below shakes" and It was congress top leaders Jagdish Tytler, Dharam Das Shastri, Sajjan Kumar who practically led the riots from front.
So it is Congress leadership and not Manmohan Singh who should have apologized. Nothing in the statement indicates remorse on part of Congress leadership. Actually, if anything actually Manmohan Singh defends congress in later part of the speech. He says
The Report is before us, and one thing it conclusively states is that there is no evidence, whatsoever, against the top leadership of the Congress Party. That lie, which has over the last 21 years been used to poison the minds of the Sikh youth, stands nailed conclusively.
It really takes a stretch of imagination to say Jagdish Tytler & Sajjan Kumar were not among top leadership of congress. As if this is not enough he actually calls Jagdish Tytler one of perpetuators of crime who was named by Nanwati commission - "a valued colleague”
One of my colleagues, a valued colleague, has tendered his resignation.
Then PM continues to say
On behalf of our Government, on behalf of the entire people of this country, I bow my head in shame that such thing took place.
No sane person will justify loss of innocent life. Be it congress or BJP and when such a thing happens we all should hang our head in shame “that such thing took place”
Even in case of Gujarat riot, Then PM Vajpayee tallest leader of BJP himself expressed anguish that ‘such a thing happened’. He had said
On the Gujarat riots, the Prime Minister said he condemned them from day one. However, he had said that the riots could not be seen in isolation from the Godhra train massacre.
"When I saw the relief camps in Ahmedabad , I had not realised the gravity of the manner in which Hindus had been burnt alive in Godhra. I first thought this was just another riot, but I realised just what had sparked it off. I do not justify what happened in Gujarat, (but) what happened in Godhra was wrong. What happened post-Godhra was also wrong,"
Finally PM concludes by saying
I can only conclude by saying that all of us should ask forgiveness of those who have suffered in this tragedy.
No Mr. PM please don’t make common citizens of India who stood shoulder to shoulder with Sikhs brothers partner in congress crime. We were protecting Sikhs when mobs led by congress leaders were hounding them.
Following is text of his actual speech
Manmohan Singhs so called Apology
