“Seeks death sentence for Jagdish Tytler”
DOGRA HERALD BUREAU
JAMMU, Aug 30
Reacting to the directions of Delhi court ordering framing of charges including murder and provocation with intent to cause riot against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in a case related to killing of Thakur Singh, Badal Singh and Gurcharan Singh outside Pul Bangesh Gurdwara in Delhi during anti-Sikh riots, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson, R P Singh, today emphasized the long-awaited justice for the Sikh community, marking 40 years since the devastating anti-Sikh riots of 1984.
RP Singh was accompanied by S. Ranjodh Singh Nalwa, President J&K BJP Minority Morcha, Abhijeet Singh Jasrotia, Spokesperson, and Dr. Pardeep Mahotra, Media Secretary while addressing the media persons at BJP Media Centre at Channi Himmat, Jammu.
Singh accused the Congress party of shielding those responsible for the massacres, naming key figures such as Jagdish Tytler, Sajjan Kumar, and H K L Bhagat. While Bhagat has passed away and Sajjan Kumar is serving life imprisonment, Tytler had managed to evade legal consequences for years. R P Singh pointed out that Tytler boasted of his impunity, claiming he roamed the streets of Delhi with Rajiv Gandhi during the riots. The BJP spokesperson further highlighted how the Congress had repeatedly shielded these individuals, despite mounting evidence. Now that court has given fresh directions, charges of unlawful assembly, rioting, disobedience of order, defiling a place of worship, abetment, mischief by fire and theft apart from murder and intent to cause riot will be framed against Tytler on September 13 when Tytler will be present in the court. Recently, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has made significant progress in the case, registering charges under sections 107, 109, and 302 of the Indian Penal Code. Singh asserted that the killings of three Sikhs in a Gurdwara were carried out under Bhagat and Tytler’s directions, expressing hope for justice in the upcoming hearings, scheduled for September 13.
Singh also recalled a 2018 viral video in which Tytler allegedly admitted to playing a role in the killings, a key piece of evidence now being used by the CBI in its pursuit of justice. Singh strongly condemned the Congress for continuing to include individuals implicated in the riots, such as Tytler, in its core committees and campaign groups, questioning Congress leaders MP Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, and Sonia Gandhi about the connection between Tytler and the late Rajiv Gandhi.
The BJP leader urged the Congress to publicly explain the nature of Rajiv Gandhi’s involvement with Tytler and to come clean on the political pressures that allowed these individuals to escape justice for so long. “We Sikhs have always believed in the Constitution and the court,” Singh said, stressing the Sikh community’s commitment to peaceful justice. “But we had to wait 40 years. Congress kept saving these killers, and now they owe the nation an explanation.”
Singh also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for their leadership in ensuring justice is delivered to the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He called for the conviction of more individuals responsible for the violence, including Congress leader Kamal Nath, and vowed to continue pursuing justice for the victims.
In December 2018, Sajjan Kumar became one of the first high-profile Congress leaders to be convicted for his role in the anti-Sikh riots. The Delhi High Court sentenced him to life imprisonment, but Singh noted that only a few convictions have taken place in the hundreds of pending cases related to the riots, highlighting the urgent need for further prosecutions.
The anti-Sikh riots, Singh reminded, affected areas like Sultanpuri, Mangolpuri, Trilokpuri, and other Trans-Yamuna regions of Delhi the most, with Gurdwaras burned and innocent lives lost to horrific violence. Perpetrators carried out killings with iron rods, knives, clubs, and petrol, often with the active support of the Delhi Police. Many Sikhs were pulled from buses, homes, and trains, and were either lynched, burnt alive, or gang-raped.
Singh called for a deeper investigation into how such wide-scale violence could have taken place with the involvement of law enforcement authorities under the influence of Congress leaders. R P Singh concluded his statement by reiterating his hope that the courts would consider the overwhelming evidence and deliver a verdict that would provide the long-awaited justice the Sikh community deserves.
The riots erupted in the wake of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination on October 31, 1984, leading to the tragic deaths of over 3,000 Sikhs in New Delhi and more than 20,000 across India. The violence displaced at least 50,000 Sikhs, plunging the community into years of grief and demanding accountability.
