'Rubbing salt to wounds': Row erupts after Jagdish Tytler attends Sheila Dikshit's takeover ceremony

In a major embarrassment for the Congress, 1984-anti Sikh riots accused Jagdish Tytler attended an event, where Sheila Dikshit took charge as the party's Delhi unit chief on Wednesday. Tytler was seen sitting in the front row, provoking criticism from various quarters, including the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BJP. Reacting to Tytler's attendance at the event, Union Minister and Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal said that the Congress has no respect for the sentiments of Sikhs. "What his family did earlier, Rahulji is just continuing with that tradition," she tweeted.

Delhi BJP spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, who sat on a hunger strike against Kamal Nath's appointment as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, also accused Congress of rubbing salt into wounds of Sikhs by inviting Tytler to the event. Tytler is one of the main accused of the riots in the Nanavati Commission report which was appointed to probe the riots that broke out after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984.

In April last year, Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar were apparently asked to leave Congress's protest at Raj Ghat, minutes before party president Rahul Gandhi was to arrive at the venue. Sajjan Kumar was convicted by the Delhi High Court in December and awarded life imprisonment for his role in the anti-Sikh riots.

Sheila Dikshit took over as the president of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee on January 10. Devender Yadav, Rajesh Lilothia and Haroon Yusuf were appointed as working presidents to assist the former Delhi chief minister.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Sheila Dikshit took charge as the party's Delhi unit chief.
• Jagdish Tytler was seen sitting in the front row, provoking criticism.
• Tytler is one of the main accused of the riots in the Nanavati report.