The controversy over Congress leader and Amritsar candidate Amarinder Singh’s remarks on a TV channel giving a “clean chit” to fellow party leader Jagdish Tytler in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots spilled onto Delhi streets on Monday.
Holding placards and raising slogan against Singh and Tytler, hundreds of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) activists led by the party president Manjit Singh GK protested outside Congress headquarters.
The BJP also jumped into the fray to corner the Congress over Singh’s statement.
Read: Harsimrat criticises Capt for clean chit to Tytler
The BJP’s Amritsar candidate Arun Jaitley questioned whether the former Punjab chief minister is “trying to prejudge the guilt of a person who is perceived to be involved in the riots? Is his personal and political relationship more important to Amarinder than the interest of the victims”?
Facing heat, Singh clarified he had not given a “clean chit” to Tytler. He said he had heard the names of other Congress leaders such as HKL Bhagat, Lalit Maken and Sajjan Kumar but Jagdish Tytler’s name was not uttered by the riot victims living in relief camps.
The former Punjab CM is reported to have told NDTV: “I’m not the CBI, I’m not the court. I’m telling you what I saw and felt....I was in Delhi, I went to all the camps…and everyone I met took all these names that I have told you except Jagdish Tytler. When did Jagdish Tytler’s name come up? It came up when he was fighting Madan Lal Khurana in Delhi (assembly polls), that was months later.”
In Delhi, BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi questioned Congress’ inaction against those involved in the riots. “It was genocide. But there was complete inaction by the government. Approximately 8,000 Sikhs were killed in Delhi. But the CBI has failed to punish anybody,” Lekhi said.
Read: Amarinder wrong on Bhopal tragedy facts: Jaitley
Read: Amarinder hits out at Modi, terms him divisive figure
The former Punjab CM is reported to have told NDTV: “I’m not the CBI, I’m not the court. I’m telling you what I saw and felt....I was in Delhi, I went to all the camps…and everyone I met took all these names that I have told you except Jagdish Tytler. When did Jagdish Tytler’s name come up? It came up when he was fighting Madan Lal Khurana in Delhi (assembly polls), that was months later.”
In Delhi, BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi questioned Congress’ inaction against those involved in the riots. “It was genocide. But there was complete inaction by the government. Approximately 8,000 Sikhs were killed in Delhi. But the CBI has failed to punish anybody,” Lekhi said.
Read: Amarinder wrong on Bhopal tragedy facts: Jaitley
Read: Amarinder hits out at Modi, terms him divisive figure