Welcome forwarding of Tytler CD to SIT for probe: BJP

The BJP on Saturday welcomed the Home Ministry move to forward the "fresh evidence" submitted against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler by Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DGMC) to a SIT headed by Justice S.N. Dhingra.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Secretary R.P. Singh and Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari thanked Home Minister Rajnath Singh for "referring the matter of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots to the SIT and for taking the right step to assure justice to the victims" by referring the fresh video compact disc evidence-based complaint against Tytler to the SIT.

The BJP leaders' remarks came soon after the Ministry said in a letter to Justice Dhingra that it had received DSGMC complaint regarding fresh evidence, along with a CD containing the full video of Tytler's TV interview to News18 and a report of the Nanawati Commission.

On Friday, a delegation of the Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sikh leaders led by R.P. Singh met Rajnath Singh to demand Tytler's immediate prosecution.

In a memorandum submitted by the BJP leaders, the party said that "Tytler could be seen and heard admitting to his involvement in the massacre of hundreds of Sikhs during the 1984 anti-Sikh carnage" following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Hence, Tytler's role should be probed again, they said.

In the letter to Justice Dhingra on Friday, the MHA said: "It has been stated that fresh evidence, new facts and circumstances and new revelations in the case... have surfaced with reference to the involvement of (Congress leaders) Jagdish Tytler, Kamal Nath, H.K.L. Bhagat and Sajjan Kumar in the said interview..."

The Home Ministry's action comes after DSGMC President Manjit Singh GK on Monday released the video of a purported sting operation recorded in 2011, showing Tytler in conversation with a few people.

The letter also said that the revelations may contain "material evidence/leads having relations with some of the 186 cases to be further investigated by the SIT constituted by the Supreme Court" in January.

"Hence the SIT is requested to examine the issues raised in the letter and the material provided in the CD while undertaking further investigation of the cases entrusted to it," the Ministry said.

On January 11, a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by the former Delhi High Court Judge was constituted by the Supreme Court to further investigate 186 cases in connection with the riots.

The apex court decided to independently investigate these cases after an earlier SIT appointed by the Centre closed them.

Tytler, on his part, has lodged a complaint against Manjit Singh GK, accusing him of circulating "doctored" video of the Congress leader.

--IANS

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