Headlines
Delhi assembly demands action against Tytler in 1984 riot case
New Delhi, June 30
The Delhi assembly on
Tuesday strongly condemned the killing of Sikhs in the national capital
during the 1984 riots and passed a resolution asking the central
government to register an FIR against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in a
riot case.
On the occasion, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced legal aid to the survivors of the carnage.
"This
House requests the central government to take immediate cognizance of
the recent revelations made against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in
affidavits of the CBI by one Abhishek Verma, that this Congress leader
influenced witnesses and made payments through hawala, and order
registration of a criminal case against him under relevant sections of
the Indian Penal Code (IPC)," the resolution said.
"This house
strongly condemns the genocide of the Sikhs in the national capital in
November 1984 and offers its deepest condolences to those innocent
people who lost their lives for no fault of theirs," it added.
The
resolution was moved by Aam Aadmi Party legislator Jarnail Singh, who
broke down while recounting an incident during the riots triggered by
the assassination of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi.
Singh,a former journalist and a Sikh, said that the "real culprits" were yet to be brought to book.
Tytler
was given a clean chit in the riot case, in which he was accused of
influencing a witness and money laundering. Over 2,700 Sikhs were killed
in the riots in Delhi.
Echoing Singh's views, Kejriwal said had
the accused in the case been brought to book, riots in other parts of
India wouldn't have occurred.
He accused the Narendra Modi
government at the centre of thwarting the AAP government's efforts to
re-investigate the case by setting up a Special Investigating Team.
"During
our 49-day stint in power in Delhi earlier on, we announced to set up
an SIT to probe the case but it could not happen since we quit the
government. But a few days before we returned to power again, the centre
set up its own SIT and stopped us from forming it," Kejriwal said.
"We
are doing whatever is possible for the rehabilitation of the survivors
of the riots and will continue to do so. Whenever the survivors need
lawyers, we will provide them for free," the chief minister said.