Former chief minister and newly-appointed Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President Sheila Dikshit is being garlanded by her party workers as she takes charge at DPCC office
Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Wednesday took charge as the Delhi Congress chief. The event was marked by the presence of former minister Jagdish Tytler among other leaders, creating a flutter in political alleys.
Asked about the appointment of Dikshit as the Delhi Congress chief, Tytler said, "It is a matter of great pleasure that the morale of the party workers has been boosted again."
Asked about people linking his name to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Tytler replied, "It doesn't matter what people say. There is no case. Court has already given its verdict and the Supreme Court has given me a clean chit."
Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa alleged that the Congress made Tytler sit in the front row at the event to "intimidate" witnesses in related cases. He claimed the Congress is "afraid as it is aware that Tytler and Kamal Nath would also be jailed" in cases related to the anti-Sikh riots.
"The Congress made Jagdish Tytler sit in the front row. It was a deliberate act to intimidate the witnesses in the anti-sikh riots cases," Sirsa, who is also the general sectary of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, alleged.
"The Congress wants to send a message to the witnesses that the party high command supports Tytler and nobody should even try to testify against him," he alleged.
"Since the conviction of Sajjan Kumar, the party is afraid... that the leaders whom it kept safe are now being jailed. By such acts, it is also sending a message to the judiciary and police that nobody should initiate action against them," Sirsa alleged.
He said Tytler and Kamal Nath won't be spared and would definitely be sent to jail.
"'We stand in support of Tytler... Don't you dare testify against him'. By giving front row seat to Jagdish Tytler; this is a loud and clear MESSAGE by @INCIndia to intimidate the witnesses... (sic)," the SAD leader later said on Twitter.
Dikshit took over as Delhi Congress chief from Ajay Maken in the presence of a large number of party leaders and workers Wednesday.
Senior Congress leaders Karan Singh, Janardan Dwivedi, Meira Kumar, PC Chacko, Sandip Dikshit, Ajay Maken among others attended Dikshit's charge taking ceremony.
The 80-year-old and three-time Delhi Chief Minister, succeeded Ajay Maken, who quit as the Delhi Congress president on January 4 citing health reasons.
(With inputs from agencies)
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