Sonia Gandhi's Delhi poll ticket to 1984 convict Sajjan Kumar's aide triggers Cong strife

In a breaking development, a rift in Congress party has broken out in national capital ahead of Delhi elections. Congress workers have std a protest over party's decision to reward 1984 anti-Sikh riots convict Sajjan Kumar's aide by giving him a ticket.

Sajjan Kumar, 73, is serving a life term in case relating to killing of five members of a family in Raj Nagar and torching of a Gurdwara in Delhi on vember 1, 1984. On December 17, 2018, Patiala House Court convicted Kumar in this case and awarded him a life term.

Agitated by same, Congress workers from Bawana constituency have std a protest outside Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee office (DPCC), stating that it would tarnish im of party. This comes two days after senior MP Congress leader Digvijaya Singh hit out at party for purportedly betraying its ideology.  

Digvijaya's Congress Criticism

A couple of days ago, two senior Congress leaders in Madhya Pradesh also had sparred over party's electoral and ideological compulsions. Speaking at an event in MP, Digvijaya Singh said that his party is focussing on electoral gains and is compromising with ideology. Terming it as a "mistake", Singh said that to revive party's position, Congress party needs to focus on its ideology. On his remarks, CM Kamal Nath said that party may fail to project its ideology strongly among people but core remains intact.

Election Commission of India in its press conference stated that National Capital of Delhi will cast its votes in a single phase for assembly elections on February 8, Saturday. counting of votes for assembly polls will take place on February 11.

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Sajjan Kumar convicted in 1984 Anti-Sikh riots

Sajjan Kumar, 73, who is lodged in jail, had resigned from Congress party after he was convicted by Delhi High Court. case in which he was convicted and sentenced relates to killing of five Sikhs in Delhi Cantonment's Raj Nagar Part-I area of southwest Delhi on vember 1-2 in 1984, and burning down of a Gurudwara in Raj Nagar Part-II. Anti-Sikh riots had broken out after assassination of n prime minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984 by her two Sikh bodyguards. Delhi High Court in its December 17 verdict last year awarded him life imprisonment for "remainder of his natural life" in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. It charged Kumar with offences of criminal conspiracy and abetment in commission of crimes of murder, promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of communal harmony and defiling and destruction of a gurudwara.

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