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| Sikh scribe flings shoe at Home Minister | | | Agencies
New Delhi, Apr 7: A Sikh journalist hurled a shoe at Home Minister P Chidambaram protesting against CBI's clean chit to senior Congress leader Jagdish Tytler accused in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, though it missed the target.
Earlier this month, the CBI had given a clean chit to 1984 anti-Sikh riots accused Tytler and sought permission from the court for the closure of the case against the Congress leader.
Chidambaram, who was addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters, was surprised when suddenly Jarnail Singh, journalist from a Hindi daily, flung a shoe and an alert Home Minister made a quick movement to see it pass by him.
"Please take him away," said, Chidambaram who then added, "gently, gently" as the journalist was escorted out of the press conference hall.
the action caused a flutter in the hall, a composed Chidambaram appealed to the reporters, "Let not the action of one emotional person hijack the entire press conference. I have answered his questions to the best of my ability."
It started with Jarnail asking him about the clean chit given by CBI to Tytler in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case under pressure from the government.
To which Chidambaram replied, saying, "First of all let me make it clear that CBI is not under the Home Ministry. To my knowledge neither the Home Ministry nor any ministry of the government had put any pressure on the CBI... The CBI has only given a report to the court. It is for the court to accept or reject or ask for further investigation by CBI. Let us wait for the court decision."
As the journalist persisted with his questions, Chidambaram told him, "No arguments, you are using this forum...", following which the journalist hurled his shoe.
Meanwhile, a large crowd gathered at the Tughlak road police station after Jarnail Singh was detained for the act.
An unapologetic Singh said, "My manner of protest might have been wrong, but I did not intend to hurt anyone." Asked if he could have used some other manner to protest, he said, "For the last 25 years this has been happening. So what other method is left (to protest)".
Station House Officer of Tughlaq Road Police station Anil Kumar Yadav informed that the scribe has been freed for the time being. "No case has been registered against him. He has regretted about his action," the official said
Singh's brother, his lawyer Sunita Tiwari and one of his colleagues were also at the police station.
"Whatever the journalist has done is appropriate. He has vented out the anguish of the Sikhs against all those who perpetrated the anti-Sikh riots," said Babu Singh Dukhiya who heads an NGO, National 1984 Victims Justice and Welfare society.
Meanwhile, Sunita Tiwari, who claimed to be his lawyer and had come to meet him at the police station, alleged that she was not allowed to talk to her client. "I was misbehaved with. The SHO asked the constables to take me out of the room. I wanted to talk to Jarnail as he was mentally disturbed," she said.
Meanwhile a number of Sikh bodies came out in support of Jarnail Singh and announced a Rs. Two lakh reward for him.
"Singh has represented the agony and resentment of the community that has been denied justice for the last 24 years. For this, Sikh organisations have decided to honour him with Rs Two lakh," said Manjinder Singh Sirsa, a Akali Dal leader.
SAD(A) has also offered a Lok Sabha ticket to him to contest from Amritsar. "We would like Jarnail Singh to contest from the holy city of Amritsar. Our party's doors are open for him and he is welcome in our fold," said SAD (A) president Simranjit Singh Mann, who himself is contesting from Sangrur constituency.
Condemning its scribe's action, the management of Dainik Jagran, a daily Hindi newspaper has said that a disciplinary action was being initiated against Jarnail Singh.
"The disgraceful action by our special correspondent of flinging a shoe at the Home Minister is highly condemnable. In view of his misdemeanour, we are taking disciplinary action against him. In no way the newspaper should be held responsible for the incident. Such actions which can spearhead violence or hatred are against the policy and norms of the newspaper," Sanjay Gupta, editor of the newspaper said in a statement.
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