1984 anti-Sikh riot accused Jagdish Tytler's presence at Congress event creates row

NEW DELHI: A controversy erupted over the presence of 1984 anti-Sikh riot accused Jagdish Tytler at a Congress event where Sheila Dikshit took charge as party's Delhi chief.
Shiromani Akali Dal MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa alleged that the Congress made Tytler sit in the front row at the event 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.
"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," he 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," the MLA 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," Singh alleged.
On the conviction of Sajjan Kumar, the Congress leader said that his name shouldn’t be clubbed with Kumar as there isn't an FIR in his name.
"What can a man say when the Court has given a verdict. You also mention my name. Why? Is there an FIR? Is there a case? No? Then why do you take my name? Someone said that and you believed it," he said.
Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal too slammed the Congress party for inviting Tytler, saying that the party has no respect for the sentiments of Sikhs.
"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," she was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
On Wednesday, Rajiv Bhawan, the office of the state Congress, wore a festive look as Sheila Dikshit took charge as the party's Delhi chief in presence of a large gathering of workers and senior leaders.
Three new working presidents — Devender Yadav, Haroon Yusuf and Rajesh Lilothia — also took charge along with Dikshit.
The enthused workers greeted the former Delhi chief minister as she reached the office at DDU Marg with slogans and drum beats. Chants like "Sheila Dikshit Ayi Hai, Badlaw Ki Andhi Layi Hai" "(Sheila Dikshit has come with a storm of change) were heard.
With Dikshit at the helm of affairs, the party is looking to revive its fortunes in the national capital after a series of poll debacles starting with losing of power in 2013.
Dikshit said she will take the party to new heights in Delhi where it will replace all and sought help of ground-level workers. She also said the Congress will make full efforts to win all the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi.
Dikshit, 80, was appointed to the post by the party's national president Rahul Gandhi after Ajay Maken stepped down citing health troubles.
Senior Congress leaders Karan Singh, Janardan Dwivedi, Meira Kumar, PC Chacko, Sandip Dikshit and Ajay Maken were among those present as Dikshit took charge.