Conviction of Sajjan Kumar a moral defeat for Congress: DSGMC president

Terming the conviction of Congress leader Sajjan Singh in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case a "moral defeat" for the party, the DSGMC said Congress chief Rahul Gandhi should expel Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath and party leader Jagdish Tytler.

The Delhi High Court sentenced Kumar for conspiracy to commit murder and sentenced him to imprisonment for life.

The riots, in which thousands of Sikhs were killed, broke out after the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984.

Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjit Singh accused the Congress of giving political patronage to Kumar.

"We demand capital punishment for Kumar and the other accused. The Congress government protected Kumar. I thank CBI officers who braved allurements of bribe and threats and kept on bringing accused to the book. I also thank kins of victims who fought against all odds and continued their struggle for justice," he told reporters.

He said he hoped that Nath and Jagdish Tytler would also be brought to justice.

Singh said Kumar's conviction was a "moral defeat" for the Congress.

"Rahul (Gandhi) made Kamal Nath chief minister. Kapil Sibal's son fought Kumar's case and still the Congress denies its role in anti-Sikh riots. Rahul and Sonia (Gandhi) should reply why the accused Kumar was saved for 34 years," he said.

The DSGMC chief demanded that Rahul Gandhi expel Kumar, Nath and Tytler from the Congress.

Victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots criticised the Congress for nominating Nath for the chief minister's post in Madhya Pradesh.

Jagdish Kaur, who lost her 19-year-old son in 1984, said 34 years was a long time but she was determined to "unmask the accused".

Another riot victim Narpreet Kaur said "We have faced threats to backtrack but continued our legal battle due to support from our lawyers and leaders like (former Punjab chief minister) Parkash Singh Badal.