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AAP denounces Kamal Nath’s Punjab appointment as ‘shameful’
NEW DELHI: Congress veteran Kamal Nath’s appointment as party in-charge for Punjab has sparked off a war of words between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress.
NEW DELHI: Congress veteran Kamal Nath’s appointment as party in-charge for Punjab has sparked off a war of words between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress.
The ruling party in Delhi launched a frontal attack on the Congress, alleging Nath was involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in the national capital.
The Congress hit back with facts and figures. Senior party spokesperson Anand Sharma said, no commission or committee, including the Justice Nanavati Commission, have accused Kamal Nath of being part of the riots.
“In f act, Nanavat i Commission clearly said it would not be proper to come to the conclusion that Kamal Nath had in any manner instigated the mob,” Sharma said.
“Nanavati Commission’s report which is available on internet has absolved me. There was never a charge against me,” Nath said.
Senior AAP leader HS Phoolka, who has been fighting for justice for 1984 riot victims, said the appointment of Nath is “like a slap on the face of the people of Punjab” and all law-abiding citizens of the country. “It is shameful. Nath’s name first appeared in relation to the riots on November 2, 1984. Leading newspapers reported that he was seen among the mob outside Gurudwara Rakab Ganj.
Mukhtiyar Singh, a gurudwara worker, told the Nanavati Commission that he saw him outside the gurudwara… if a curfew was imposed, what was he doing there?” Phoolka said.
Congress pointed out that during the parliamentary debate on Nanavati Commission report, neither the BJP nor the Akali Dal accused Kamal Nath. “These accusations are blatant lies,” said Sharma.
Phoolka said if people like Nath get such important posts, no one in this country is safe.
“Appointing him in Punjab shows that Congress does not care either for the law or the peace loving people of the country. Their secular façade has fallen. It is, at the end of the day, a party of goondas,” he said.
Sanjay Singh, in charge of AAP’s Punjab wing, said: “Right from Sajjan Kumar to Jagdish Tytler and Kamal Nath - are now big leaders in the Congress… These people shouldn’t be given such responsibilities. They should be in jail,” he said.
Nath said the party will politically deal with these charges.
(With PTI inputs)
