Rahul Gandhi must resign as Congress chief for making Kamal Nath MP CM: BJP after Sajjan Kumar's conviction in 1984 anti-Sikh riots

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday demanded the resignation of Rahul Gandhi as Congress president for making Kamal Nath the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. Addressing mediapersons after the conviction of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra claimed that Kamal Nath’s named had appeared in a report submitted to the Nanavati Commission.

Targeting the Congress party over selection of Kamal Nath for the CM post, the BJP leader alleged that “a man involved in anti-Sikh riots has been made the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister”.

“Rahul Gandhi should resign as Congress chief. Kamal Nath ji's name crops up along with affidavit and evidence in a report submitted to Nanavati Commission. A man involved in anti-Sikh riots has been made the MP CM,” said Sambit Patra, adding that “Rahul Gandhi must expel him from the Congress party”.

Earlier on Monday, Union Finance Minister and senior BJP leader also referred to Kamal Nath taking oath as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.

“Ye vidambna hai ki ye aaya uss din hai ki jab Sikh samaj jis doosre neta ko doshi maanta hai, Congress ussey mukhyamantri ki shapath dila rahi hai (This is an irony that the decision comes on a day when another person, who the Sikh community considers a culprit, is being made the Chief Minister by the Congress party),” said Jaitley without naming Kamal Nath.

Union Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal also targeted the Congress party after the verdict.

"It is Sajjan Kumar today, it will be Jagdish Tytler tomorrow then Kamal Nath and eventually the Gandhi family. I want to thank PM Modi that on Shiromnai Akali Dal's request in 2015 he set up an SIT to probe 1984 massacre. It's a historic judgement. Wheels of justice have finally moved," she said.

This comes on a day when Kamal Nath takes oath as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, and in another development, the Delhi High Court reversed the acquittal of Sajjan Kumar, finding him guilty in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. Sajjan Kumar was on Saturday awarded life imprisonment by the Delhi High Court.

Appealing against Kumar's acquittal, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had alleged that the accused were engaged in "a planned communal riot" and "religious cleansing".