The Hindu : National : VS clarifies remark about Rajiv Gandhi

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Tuesday, Jul 06, 2010
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National

VS clarifies remark about Rajiv Gandhi

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has said that his observation about the late Rajiv Gandhi at a public meeting recently was meant only to bring into focus the ‘insensitive' statement which he had made after the killing of Indira Gandhi about the anti-Sikh riots.

“Rajiv Gandhi's remark about the anti-Sikh riots was that when big trees fall, the smaller ones and plants underneath would also get uprooted. It was a very insensitive statement. I had recalled it without meaning any offence to the memory of Rajiv Gandhi. Nor do I hold the contributions of Rajiv Gandhi and the Nehru family in low esteem. If my statement has created any misunderstanding in the minds of my Congress friends, I hope they would correct it with this clarification,” Mr. Achuthanandan told the Assembly in response to a submission by Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy.

Earlier, Mr. Chandy expressed great pain and distress about the Chief Minister's statement and pointed out that nobody had so far raised any such allegation against Rajiv Gandhi. What Rajiv Gandhi had done at the time of the riots was to work to bring the riots to an end.

The Chief Minister must withdraw his remark and tender an apology, he said.

The Chief Minister said he had made the remark in the context of the Congress levelling allegations against him even after he had apologised for having mistakenly referred to Rajiv Gandhi in place of Sanjay Gandhi while speaking in the House recently.

Although he had made the correction immediately on making the mistake and later at a news conference, the Opposition continued to bring it up.

This was the context in which the statement about Rajiv Gandhi was made, Mr. Achuthanandan explained.

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