'Pathological Dislike for Sikhs': AAP Slams Congress for Electing Jagdish Tytler as AICC Delegate

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday lashed out at the Congress for electing Jagdish Tytler as an AICC delegate, saying the move shows there is a "pathological dislike for Sikhs" in the grand old party's DNA. Alleging that Tytler was involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the AAP also demanded that the Congress take steps to bring him to justice, instead of rewarding him with promotions in the party.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led party termed the inclusion of Tytler's name on the list of the AICC delegates as 'disgusting and cheap' and demanded his name be removed 'with immediate effect'.

The AAP's reaction came after the Delhi Congress released a list of the elected AICC members which included Tytler's name.

"With another promotion for Jagdish Tytler, Congress' message for Sikhs is clear - that it will continue to indulge in a brazen display of insensitivity towards Sikhs. Like I said earlier, a pathological dislike for Sikhs is in Congress' DNA," AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, who is also party's spokesperson, said in a tweet.

The name of Tytler, once a formidable leader of the Congress in Delhi, had figured in a report of the Nanavati Commission which probed into the anti-Sikh riots.

Slamming the Congress' move, AAP MLA Jarnail Singh said, "On the one hand Rahul Gandhi says he has come to open Mobabbat Ki Dukaan (shop of love) and on the other hand the Congress indulges in such cheap and disgusting activity by making the main accused an AICC delegate."

With Tytler's election as AICC delegate, there is so much anger 'among the Sikh and other communities' across the country, the Tilak Nagar MLA said.
"Expel Tytler from this committee with immediate effect and take action to bring him to justice," Singh said.

The AAP leader also took on the BJP and accused it of not doing anything to bring the perpetrators of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots to justice. 

After coming to power at the Centre in 2014, the BJP-led government 'hurriedly' set up an SIT to probe the 1984 riots, he said.

"People believed that justice could finally be served. The SIT also promised to bring the killers to justice within a year, but nearly 10 years since then, we are yet to see any progress," the AAP MLA said.

"We request the BJP-led Central government to deliver justice to the victims of the 1984 riots and bring the murderers to their end instead of conspiring with them," he added.