The Hindu : Front Page : My name was `unnecessarily' dragged: Tytler

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Friday, Aug 19, 2005

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My name was `unnecessarily' dragged: Tytler

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The former Union Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs, Jagdish Tytler, on Thursday said the Nanavati Commission had "unnecessarily" dragged his name for mention in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

"Political compulsions and vociferous representations" made the Prime Minister commit himself to the House that the matter would be reinvestigated, he said.

Akali Dal members staged a walkout as soon as Mr. Tytler began his statement. Other National Democratic Alliance members followed suit within minutes.

With the Opposition benches empty, the former Minister wrapped up his statement without further interruptions, but ran into trouble immediately afterwards as the Left and Samajwadi Party members rose in protest. But, since the statement was made under Rule 199, which does not permit any discussion, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee struck off the records whatever transpired.

According to Mr. Tytler, the Commission dragged his name "unnecessarily, merely to give credence to baseless and vile accusations arranged by my adversaries." The Commission chose to "give credence to some submissions and ignore others", he said.

Saying that the Action Taken Report "prepared to take no further action as far as my involvement in the riots was concerned ... due to the present, prevalent, political compulsions and the vociferous representations, the Prime Minister committed to the House that the matter would be reinvestigated."

Maintaining that "my conscience guided me to put in my resignation'', Mr. Tytler said "numerous Commissions and enquiries, including the investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation, whenever there was a non-Congress Government, negated all the allegations in their totality."

The Delhi Police Commissioner's office informed him twice that they had found no truth in the allegations made against him.

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