The Congress has rejected the Bhartiya Janata Party's demand asking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to resign for failing to act against Union minister Jagdish Tytler and Congress member of Parliament Sajjan Kumar on the basis of findings of the Justice G T Nanavati Commission.
Addressing a news conference in Parliament house, Congress spokesman Anand Sharma asked said, "It is unfortunate that the BJP has dragged the religion of Dr Manmohan Singh into the controversy. The government has accepted nine out of ten recommendations made by the commission. Only one recommendation has not been accepted. Home Minster Shivraj Patil conveyed this to me," he said.
Asked why Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar were not asked to resign, Sharma said there was no evidence against the two. "In Tytler's case, the commission says there is a probable evidence against him. Anyone who knows the law would tell you that no criminal case can be filed on the basis of probability. One affidavit was filed against Tytler and later it was withdrawn.
"As far as Sajjan Kumar is concerned, some of the first information reports filed against him do not relate to 1984. On the contrary the commission has cleared the names of Vasant Sathe and Kamal Nath and also absolved the Congress and its top leadership of their involvement in the anti-Sikh riots," Sharma said.
The Congress spokesman claimed that Rs 100 crore has been distributed as compensation and if needed, more would be given to the victims. He refused to take critical questions from the newsmen on the ground that the matter is due to be debated in Parliament.