Describing the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and Gujarat incidents as painful, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Saturday said an environment must be created so that such things are not repeated.

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Dr Singh made the remarks after paying obeisance at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib in New Delhi.

The prime minister, who was accompanied by his wife Gursharan Kaur, said he understood the "pain and anguish" of Sikhs and emphasised that "such incidents should never occur again."

Deploring the Gujarat riots, Dr Singh said: "These are painful incidents."

He appealed to all sections of the society to help maintain peace and harmony in the country. "In the comity of nations, India should again become the 'golden bird'," he added.