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| Jagdish Tytler | |
|---|---|
| MP | |
| Constituency | Delhi Sadar |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1944-01-11) 11 January 1944 (age 80) New Delhi |
| Political party | INC |
| Residence | New Delhi |
| As of September 16, 2006Source: | |
Jagdish Tytler (b. January 11, 1944) is a controversial Indian politician, several times a Union Minister, he belongs to the ruling Indian National Congress party. He was the Indian Union Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs, a position he resigned from after an official commission of inquiry noted the 'balance of probability' indicated he was responsible for inciting and leading murderous mobs against the Sikh community in Delhi during the 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots, a charge he denies.
Tytler was born in Gujranwala (now in Pakistan). He was born to a Sikh mother, Dayal Kaur. His Hindu father (Kapoor) had passed away when he was a year old. Though he was raised by his mother, he had a mentor, missionary and educationalist Rev. James Douglas Tytler who was a mentor and father-figure to him. Out of respect, Tytler took on his name, though continued to take on the Sikh traditions of his mother, even getting married by a Granthi in a Gurudwara by Sikh rites. The Sikh traditions have always remained close to his heart and a part of his life in reverence to his late Mother, Dayal.
Active in the Congress' youth organisation and a disciple of Sanjay Gandhi, he was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980. He served as a Union Minister first in the Civil Aviation department and then in the Labor department. He was re-elected in 1991 and served as the Union Minister of State for Surface Transport. In 2004, he was re-elected to the Lok Sabha.
1984 anti-Sikh riots case
The official report of the Nanavati Commission of Government of India on the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots found some 'credible evidence' against Tytler, saying he 'very probably' had a hand in organising the attacks. The Indian government, however, decided not to prosecute Jagdish Tytler due to lack of sufficient concrete evidence.
Tytler claimed innocence and said that the evidence was a case of mistaken identity. Tytler had not been named by eight earlier inquiry commissions setup to investigate the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. On August 10, 2005, his resignation from the Union Council of Ministers was accepted by the President of India on the recommendation of Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh.
On April, 2004 the Indian National Congress Party announced Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish Tytler, R.K. Anand and others allegedly involved in the anti-Sikh riots, as its candidates for Indian Parliament elections for constituencies in and around Delhi. These members of parliament were accused by several independent commissions of inquiry of being complicit in the riots, including the People's Union for Civil Liberties, the People's Union for Democratic Rights and the Citizen's Justice Committee.
The G.T. Nanavati Commission, which is now looking into the riots, continues to receive affidavits from victims with details of the activities of Sajjan, Anand and Tytler. Tytler became minister of state with independent charge of non-resident affairs, a post which he relinquished under duress, following the Nanavati Commission's report.
Reopening of the case in 2007
India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) closed all cases against Jagdish Tytler in November 2007 for his alleged criminal conspiracy to engineer riots against Sikhs in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi’s assassination on October 31, 1984. CBI submitted a report to the Delhi court which stated that no evidence or witness was found to corroborate the allegations against Tytler of leading murderous mobs during 1984 . It was also alleged in the court that then member of theIndian Parliament Jagdish Tytler was complaining to his supporters about relatively "small" number of sikhs killed in his parliamentary constituency Delhi Sadar, which in his opinion had undermined his position in the ruling Indian National Congress party of India .
However in December 2007, a witness Jasbir Singh, who is lives in California, appeared on several private television news channels in India, and stated that he was never contacted by Central Bureau of Investigation. India's main opposition party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded an explanation from the minister in-charge of CBI in Indian Parliament. However, Minister of State for Personnel Suresh Pachouri, who is in-charge of department of CBI, and was present in the parliament session refused to make a statement.
On December 18 2007, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Delhi court Mr. Sanjeev Jain, who had earlier dismissed the case after CBI submitted a misleading report in his court; ordered India's Central Bureau of Investigation to reopen cases relating to 1984 Anti-Sikh riots against Jagdish Tytler.
December 2008
In December 2008, a two member CBI team was sent to New York to record the statements of two eyewitnesses, Jasbir Singh and Surinder Singh. The two witnesses have stated that they saw Jagdish Tytler lead a mob during the riots, but did not want to come to India as they feared for their security.
January 2009
After rigorous investigation and recording of testimony in Indian consulates in New York and San Francisco, the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation), in a ground breaking conclusion, determines that the two witnesses examined by its team in the United States in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots were not credible enough and failed to give any proof linking former Union Minister Jagdish Tytler to the rioters.
Debate With HS Phoolka
On a TV Debate with H. S. Phoolka (Campaigner for human rights and the Delhi pogrom victims), Jagdish Tytler was over heard making verbal threats off camera, when challenged about his role in the 1984 Delhi Pogrom.
See also
References
- Fresh probe into India politician
- BJP to govt: Clear stand on anti-Sikh riots' witness
- 1984 riots: CBI to re-investigate Tytler's role
- Anti Sikh riots witness to give statement to CBI in US
- Testimony against Tytler unreliable, says CBI
- www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8pu18lUh6s - Debate Between Jagdish Tytler and HS Phoolka
External links
- "United States Should Not Let Tytler Enter Country" Statement by New York Representative Edolphus Towns in US Congress.
- Jagdish Tytler
- "I am innocent: Tytler" - rediff.com article dated August 8, 2005
- Rediff Article on Tytler
- NDTV X-Factor discussion about involvement of HKL Bhagat, Tytler, Sajjan Kumar and Congress Party in 1984 riots
- After Apology, Congress Tries to Scuttle Sikh Massacre Report