The Congress was criticised by Opposition parties on Wednesday for giving senior leader Jagdish Tytler who was allegedly involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots a seat on the dais.
The BJP and AAP both termed Mr. Tytler’s presence on the front row at a function organised to welcome Sheila Dikshit as president of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee as the “anti-Sikh” face of the party.
Threaten witnesses
Shiromani Akali Dal MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that party had ensured Mr. Tytler’s prominent presence only to threaten witness of the 1984 Sikh genocide cases and to stop them from deposing against the accused in the cases.
“After the conviction of Sajjan Kumar, the Congress has gone berserk. In desperation to save the skin of its leaders whom it had deputed to carry out the 1984 Sikh carnage, it is going all out to show its power to the families of victims and witnesses. The Congress was afraid as it was aware that [Jagdish] Tytler and Kamal Nath would also be jailed in cases related to the anti-Sikh riots,” Mr. Sirsa said.
The AAP said that the prominent presence of one of the “main perpetrators” of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in a public function organised by Congress exposes the real face of this party.
“Tytler had to resign from the Union Cabinet in 2005 after being named in the Nanavati Commission report. Further his Lok Sabha ticket had to be withdrawn in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress tried its level best to save him by misusing the CBI. It is a shame that such riot masterminds are today the faces of Congress in Delhi,” said AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh.
Commenting on Mr. Tytler’s presence, Delhi’s BJP chief Manoj Tiwari felt that the demand to withdraw the Bharat Ratna from Rajiv Gandhi should be pursued swiftly by Arvind Kejriwal as it has now become clear that the Congress is against the Sikhs and wants to justify the 1984 riots. “If Mr. Kejriwal does not, it will become clear that he wants to go along with the Sheila [Dikshit] group,” Mr. Tiwari said.
Responding to criticism, Mr. Tytler told reporters that those objecting to his presence should show if there is any FIR against him. “The CBI has cleared my name. There is no FIR against me. I was one among thousands who had come to attend the function,” Mr. Tytler said. Ms. Dikshit also supported him by saying that Mr. Tytler was a Congressman and the party had not shunted him out.
