Sikh riots accused Tytler stakes claim to fight LS polls
5 March 2014 5:47 AM IST
Tytler will take on J P Agarwal, incumbent parliamentarian from that constituency, in an internal election to select the party candidate to contest LS polls from the constituency. According to sources, Tytler and former Delhi legislator Rajesh Lilothia filed nominations for the primaries on Tuesday. Agarwal, who resigned as Delhi Congress president in the wake of the party’s rout in the assembly elections, has also filed his nomination.
Tytler, whose candidature was withdrawn during the 2009 general elections, is facing CBI inquiry for instigating violence against the Sikhs in November 1984 in at a North Delhi Gurdwara.
Meanwhile, hitting out at the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, AAP leader and former journalist Jarnail Singh said that instead of punishing the 1984 riot accused, Congress is promoting divisive policy by giving the ticket to Jagdish Tytler. Speaking to Millennium Post, Singh alleged that in 2009, under public pressure, the Congress had barred Tytler (along with Sajjan Kumar, co-accused in 1984 riots cases), from contesting LS elections. ‘But decision to reinstate him shows Congress lacks good candidates,’ Singh added.
Describing the decision as a ‘betrayal’ by the Congress party, Singh said, ‘The Congress does not care about the sentiments of the victims. And though the Congress has said that it has denied tickets to those guilty of 1984 riots, it is not true.’ When asked how AAP can make a difference in this matter, he said, ‘AAP lived up to its electoral promise of investigating the 1984 riots by setting up a Special Investigation Team (SIT).’ Singh says he turned down an offer to contest the 2009 LS polls on a Shiromani Akali Dal ticket because he did not want to be a politician. He joined AAP a year ago, impressed by the party’s commitment to the cause of investigating the 1984 riots.
Rahul Gandhi has introduced US-style primaries on an experimental basis in 16 constituencies countrywide – including two from Delhi– in which party workers would elect the candidate to contest the Lok Sabha polls. In New Delhi LS constituency, where two primaries were to be held, sitting MP Ajay Maken elected unopposed.
Tytler, whose candidature was withdrawn during the 2009 general elections, is facing CBI inquiry for instigating violence against the Sikhs in November 1984 in at a North Delhi Gurdwara.
Meanwhile, hitting out at the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, AAP leader and former journalist Jarnail Singh said that instead of punishing the 1984 riot accused, Congress is promoting divisive policy by giving the ticket to Jagdish Tytler. Speaking to Millennium Post, Singh alleged that in 2009, under public pressure, the Congress had barred Tytler (along with Sajjan Kumar, co-accused in 1984 riots cases), from contesting LS elections. ‘But decision to reinstate him shows Congress lacks good candidates,’ Singh added.
Describing the decision as a ‘betrayal’ by the Congress party, Singh said, ‘The Congress does not care about the sentiments of the victims. And though the Congress has said that it has denied tickets to those guilty of 1984 riots, it is not true.’ When asked how AAP can make a difference in this matter, he said, ‘AAP lived up to its electoral promise of investigating the 1984 riots by setting up a Special Investigation Team (SIT).’ Singh says he turned down an offer to contest the 2009 LS polls on a Shiromani Akali Dal ticket because he did not want to be a politician. He joined AAP a year ago, impressed by the party’s commitment to the cause of investigating the 1984 riots.
Rahul Gandhi has introduced US-style primaries on an experimental basis in 16 constituencies countrywide – including two from Delhi– in which party workers would elect the candidate to contest the Lok Sabha polls. In New Delhi LS constituency, where two primaries were to be held, sitting MP Ajay Maken elected unopposed.
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