The Lt. Governor of Delhi had been advised to decide by this month-end the CBI’s request for prosecution of Congress leaders Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar, accused in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Home Minister P. Chidambaram said this in the Rajya Sabha at the end of a calling attention motion on the progress of relief and steps taken to punish the guilty in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
“We have advised the Lt. Governor to take the decision as early as possible. I will once again request that he must decide before this month end,” he said.
The CBI had completed investigation or re-investigation of seven cases against Mr. Tytler, Mr. Kumar and the late Dharam Das Shastri.
Beginning and ending his reply with an apology, Mr. Chidambaram, pointed out that a previous debate concerning the minorities (the Liberhan Commission report) did not see the all-round accommodation of all views. “If anyone suffers, especially any minority, be it religious or linguistic, a part of India’s civilisational values dies, he observed and promised to do his best to heal the wounds.
Not satisfied with the Minister’s assurance, the BJP and some of its allies walked out of the House.
Mr. Chidambaram denied Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley’s charge that he was a “friend of the accused.” “I am not defending anyone, he said. The government would take an “impartial, fearless and speedy approach to the cases against the accused.”
