Accusing Sonia Gandhi of “misleading” the people of the country, BJP leader HS Phoolka on Tuesday alleged that the Congress leader has given a “clean chit” to her husband Rajiv Gandhi by blaming then Army chief AS Vaidya for the delay in the deployment of armed forces in Delhi after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination on October 31, 1984.Speaking to reporters at the BJP headquarters here, the Supreme Court lawyer who has been fighting cases of anti-Sikh riots victims claimed that Gandhi’s assertion in her book that Vaidya had received his orders the same night as the assassination and decided not to mobilise the nearest units because they were manned by Sikh soldiers and called the units from Dehradun is “against official records”.”Gen Vaidya never said that he had instructions from Rajiv Gandhi or the prime minister. Gen Vaidya said that he had himself checked (the availability of Army units) in Delhi. He had asked GoC Delhi about it and the GOC Delhi told him that 6,000 (Army) personnel were available. And Gen Vaidya had also called Army (units) from Meerut which had reached Delhi on the night of October 31, 1984,” the BJP leader claimed.”It is a massive attempt to mislead people in India and across the world. In her book, Sonia Gandhi is giving a clean chit to Rajiv Gandhi and her family. She said Gen Vaidya was responsible (for delay in deployment of armed forces) while Gen Vaidya himself said Army (units) were available in Delhi,” he charged.In her memoir, ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’, Gandhi said the 1984 anti-Sikh riots remain a “tragic and shameful” chapter in the country’s history, asserting that while her husband Rajiv Gandhi’s heart held no bigotry or rancour, he was thrust into a moment of history when effective governance had foundered and barbaric acts followed.Gandhi recalls that the news of Indira Gandhi’s killing spread rapidly and many in Punjab and other parts of the country had earlier welcomed the end of (Jarnail Singh) Bhindranwale and his cohorts who had been set upon breaking up the country with weapons of terror and murder.Gandhi points out that that very night, Rajiv appeared on national television to appeal for peace, virtually his first public act after being sworn in as prime minister.”He visited areas of the city racked with tension and members of his staff out to look for their Sikh colleagues and make sure they were safe. He went out again on November 1 speaking to ordinary folk, urging them to refrain from seeking revenge,” she recalls.Gandhi also recalls that many contradictory reports have appeared about that harrowing period, some concerning the delay in the deployment of the army.”Although the Chief of Army Staff General AS Vaidya had received his orders the same night as the assassination, we heard later that he decided not to mobilise the nearest units because they were manned by Sikh soldiers, a factor that might have exacerbated the situation,” she says.Questioning Gandhi’s account, Phoolka said that the deployment of Army units was the responsibility of the civil administration when they were available in Delhi.”If Rajiv Gandhi was not responsible, what action did he take against those who were responsible for the delay in deployment of the Army?” Phoolka said.”Instead, Gandhi in his speech said, ‘Jab bada ped girta hai to dharti thodi hilti hai (When a big tree falls, earth shakes)’ to justify the killings,” the BJP leader alleged.