Neither was Sajjan Kumar given ticket, nor does he hold any office, says Congress leader Kapil Sibal; reminds BJP of Gujarat riots
Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Monday said that neither Sajjan Kumar — convict in the 1984 anti-Sikh riot case — was given a ticket by the Congress, nor he does not hold any office.
New Delhi: Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Monday said that neither Sajjan Kumar — convict in the 1984 anti-Sikh riot case — was given a ticket by the Congress, nor he does not hold any office.
Refuting allegations against the Congress party for saving the accused of Sikh massacre, Sibal said, "Sajjan Kumar wasn't given any ticket by our party and he doesn't hold any office." Earlier in a day, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Delhi MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa told ANI, "Court has accepted that prominent Congress leaders were involved in the Sikh massacre. Court has also agreed to the fact that they had political patronage that protected them."
File image of Congress leader Kapil Sibal. PTI
Sirsa also criticised Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for taking a side of party leaders like Jagdish Tytler and Kamal Nath who were accused in anti-Sikh riots incident case. Notably, the conviction of former Congress MP, Sajjan Kumar came at a time when Congress emerged victorious in three major states.
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Further defending Kamal Nath, Madhya Pradesh chief minister designate, on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots issue, Sibal attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection with the 2002 Gujarat violence. He said, "What about the allegations made against the then chief minister in 2002 Gujarat violence. Rather than questioning Kamal Nath, one should question Prime Minister Modi for riots that took place under his nose."
"BJP leaders like Arun Jaitley are trying to give political colours to court's verdict, they should stop doing so. It is the court's decision and we accept it," he added. A Delhi High court on Monday reversed the trial court verdict of 2013 and sentenced Sajjan Kumar and five others in a case related to the killing of five Sikh's in Delhi's Cantonment area in November 1984, following the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi.
After the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984, at least 3,000 people were killed in anti-Sikh riots when mobs led by Congress leaders targeted innocent people.
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