Conviction of Sajjan Kumar a 'jolt' for Congress: Prakash Javadekar

Lucknow: Union minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday said the conviction of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots was a “jolt” for the party and demanded action against Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath for his alleged involvement in the riots.

The Delhi High Court sentenced Sajjan Kumar for conspiracy to commit murder and sentenced him to imprisonment for life.

“The 1984 anti-Sikh riots was a one-sided massacre…the Delhi High Court convicting Sajjan Kumar in this case is a severe jolt for the Congress,” Javadekar told reporters in Lucknow.

He said the Congress need not give clarifications on this, instead should take action against its another senior leader Kamal Nath, the newly sworn-in Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, who was also allegedly involved in the riots.

The riots, in which thousands of Sikhs were killed, broke out after the assassination of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984.