BJP, Akalis seek arrest of Jagdish Tytler

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded the immediate arrest of Congress leader Jagdish Tytler following the release of a video clip wherein he reportedly admitted his role in the 1984 anti-Sikh carnage in Delhi. Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina, state executive member of the party, said the CBI must register a fresh FIR in this regard. “With this, there is no doubt that Tytler spearheaded the mobs to take on innocent Sikhs. Tytler boasts of killing hundreds of Sikhs in Delhi during the riots,” he said. The video, which was released in Delhi, has created uproar in the political circles though Tytler has questioned the authenticity of the recorded clip.

Earlier, The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) raised the issue of the alleged “confession” by Congress MP Jagdish Tytler about “killing” 100 Sikhs during the 1984 riots. Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu rejected objections by Congress leader Anand Sharma that “rules were being broken” and that a “sub-judice matter” could not be raised during Zero Hour, allowing Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa to elaborate on the “new evidence” in the CD.

At the same time, he said Dhindsa’s reference to the particular person (Tytler) and to former PM (Rajiv Gandhi) would not go on record. “We have been discussing in this House issues that have been sub-judice for years together. It is everybody’s knowledge,” he said.

Regarding authenticity of the CD, Naidu said Akali members showed him the CD. “It is not my duty to see the CD. I told them to authenticate it. He (Dhindsa) said it on the floor of the House that he is submitting the same CD with authentication to the House. So, I don’t find any objection to that,” he said.

As Dhindsa, whose notice under Rule 267 was converted into Zero Hour submission by  Naidu, went on to elaborate about the CD, he also recalled an infamous remark by a former PM on the riots that broke out in the aftermath of the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. This led to protests from the Congress MPs, after which Naidu ruled that references to the former PM and members not present in the House be removed from records.

According to Sharma, rules do not allow a sub-judice matter to be discussed in the House. Countering him, Akali leader Naresh Gujral said: “Where were the rules when Sikhs were massacred? Have they forgotten rules? Is it a rule that Sikhs should be massacred and no justice given?”

“The Congress is citing rules now. But where were the rules when Sikhs were massacred? They are not willing to listen to a confession,” Dhindsa added, amid protests by Congress leaders who then demanded a discussion on the issue, which was rejected by Naidu.