Congress drops Jagdish Tytler, Sajjan Kumar

NEW DELHI: In the face of mounting controversy over their alleged involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, a worried Congress on Thursday

withdrew its controversial leaders Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar from the electoral fray. ( Watch Video)

"Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar have expressed their sentiments that they do not wish to embarrass the party by contesting Lok Sabha elections when some political parties and individuals have tried to vitiate the atmosphere. They have opted out of Lok Sabha elections.

"The party has accepted their feelings and decided that they will not be Lok Sabha candidates of the Indian National Congress," party General Secretary Janardhan Dwivedi told reporters shortly after Tytler announced his decision to opt out of the race, PTI reported.

Their replacements will be decided soon, said sources.

The Congress decision comes amid a raging controversy over fielding the two leaders, whose names figured as accused in the 1984 riots, accentuated by the incident of throwing of shoe by a Sikh journalist at home minister P Chidambaram at AICC press conference on Tuesday.

The journalist said he was protesting against the clean chit given by CBI to Tytler in the riots case, an issue on which the agency today told a local court here that it had no jurisdiction to go into. The case has been deferred till April 28.

65-year-old Tytler, who had won thrice from the capital, was announced as party's candidate from the newly-created North-East Delhi seat.

with thanks : timesofindia.indiatimes.com