Tytler claims Rajiv Gandhi travelled with him during 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Badal says ex-PM 'supervised killings'

Former Union Minister and Congress leader Jagdish Tytler has claimed that then PM Rajiv Gandhi had taken rounds with him in the wake of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, which took place after Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in retaliation for Operation Bluestar.

Talking to News 18, Tytler said Rajiv Gandhi recced the areas with him and was extremely anguished at party MPs from Delhi who were asked to go their constituencies and contain the situation. However Punjab CM Amarinder Singh has refuted Tytler's claims. 

No,this is not true: Captain Amarinder Singh,Punjab CM on reports that Jagdish Tytler revealed that Rajiv Gandhi took several rounds of North Delhi with him to assess situation in the wake of 1984 riots. pic.twitter.com/MXSE2mCJBi

— ANI (@ANI) January 29, 2018

Reacting to the claim, former Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal said: “Jagdish Tytler has revealed that Rajiv Gandhi travelled with him across the city in 1984. It means that the then PM was supervising the killings. CBI must look into it, very serious issue.” 

Jagdish Tytler has revealed that Rajiv Gandhi traveled with him across the city in 1984. It means that the then PM was supervising the killings. CBI must look into it, very serious issue: Sukhbir Badal,former Punjab Dy CM pic.twitter.com/ADwloOmGZh

— ANI (@ANI) January 29, 2018

Tytler is one of those named as being the organisers of the riots by the Nanavati Commission in its report submitted ten years ago. He is also accused of killing three Sikhs outside the Gurudwara Pulbangash in his Delhi north constituency during the riots.

As part of its investigation, CBI had asked Tytler to undergo a lie-detector test, which the politician had said he was ready for, even though he wasn’t legally bound. The fresh impetus to reinvestigate the Congress leader’s role in 1984 riots is due to the claims of Tytler’s former aide who has deposed against him in a Kardooma court.

1984 anti-Sikh riots activist HS Phoolka had caused a flutter earlier by demanding that former PM Rajiv Gandhi’s Bharat Ratna should be taken back as he had"justified" the killings in 1984 carnage, a plea dismissed as cheap politics by Congress.

He had said "A Prime Minister who justifies the killing of innocent citizens, definitely does not deserve Bharat Ratna. We therefore call upon the government to withdraw the Bharat Ratna conferred upon Rajiv Gandhi.”

He added: “A Prime Minister who takes three years even to count the dead bodies of innocent citizens killed in daylight in the capital cannot be a Bharat Ratna," they said, holding Congress responsible for the massacre. "We demand Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna be taken back."