Rajnath Singh may have offered Muslims an apology for “any mistake”, but Congress leaders reacted by saying it should be Narendra Modi tendering that apology for the Gujarat violence of 2002, not the party president.
According to NDTV, Congress leader Rashid Alvi said, “Why is Rajnath Singh apologising? It is Modi who should apologise. It is not Rajnath’s fault.”
Congress leaders have in recent times made repeated demands that Modi apologise for 2002, stating that the Congress leadership including Prime Minister Manmohan SIngh had extended an apology to the Sikh community for the anti-Sikh riots of 1984.
On Tuesday, Singh asked Muslims to give BJP one chance ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The party is willing to apologise for any “mistake”, he said, an apparent reference to the Gujarat riots.
Singh did not mention Modi or Gujarat.
“Please note that whenever, wherever if there has been any mistake and shortcoming on our part, I assure you that we will apologise to you by bowing our heads,” he said while addressing a gathering of Muslims.