Jagdish Tytler's presence at Congress event causes stir, SAD leader accuses party of intimidating 1984 anti-Sikh riots witnesses

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Wednesday alleged that the Congress made 1984 anti-Sikh riots accused Jagdish Tytler sit in the front row at an event where Sheila Dikshit took over as its Delhi unit president to “intimidate” witnesses in related cases. He claimed the Congress is “afraid as it is aware that Tytler and Kamal Nath would also be jailed” in cases related to the anti-Sikh riots. [caption id=“attachment_3004372” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Jagdish Tytler. AFP[/caption] “The Congress made Jagdish Tytler sit in the front row. It was a deliberate act to intimidate the witnesses in the anti-sikh riots cases,” Sirsa, who is also the general sectary of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, alleged. “The Congress wants to send a message to the witnesses that the party high command supports Tytler and nobody should even try to testify against him,” he alleged. “Since the conviction of Sajjan Kumar, the party is afraid… that the leaders whom it kept safe are now being jailed. By such acts, it is also sending a message to the judiciary and police that nobody should initiate action against them,” Sirsa alleged. He said Tytler and Kamal Nath won’t be spared and would definitely be sent to jail. “‘We stand in support of Tytler… Don’t you dare testify against him’. By giving front row seat to Jagdish Tytler; this is a loud and clear MESSAGE by @INCIndia to intimidate the witnesses… (sic),” the SAD leader later said on Twitter. Dikshit took over as Delhi Congress chief from Ajay Maken in the presence of a large number of party leaders and workers Wednesday. Senior Congress leaders Karan Singh, Janardan Dwivedi, Meira Kumar, PC Chacko, Sandip Dikshit, Ajay Maken among others attended Dikshit’s charge taking ceremony. SAD leader and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal also lashed out at the Congress and said that the party and Rahul had no respect for the Sikhs’ sentiments.

Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Akali Dal on Jagdish Tytler present at Congress event in Delhi: What his family did earlier, Rahul ji is just continuing with that tradition. It clearly shows that they have no respect for sentiments of Sikhs. pic.twitter.com/jAI1cJl2X9

— ANI (@ANI) January 16, 2019

With inputs from PTI