What forced Cong hand on Tytler, Sajjan

'Jutta Factor'

RAMESH VINAYAK

Even as the Congress has attempted to cut its political losses by withdrawing the Lok Sabha candidature of 1984 anti-Sikh riot-tainted Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar, the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), a key NDA ally, is showing no sign of piping down. Instead, in tandem with radical Sikh organisations, it appears intent on keeping the issue alive as high stake elections draw nearer. Two days after the shoe-hurling episode by a Sikh journalist catapulted the political row over the tickets to the duo into an expression of collective anger of the Sikhs, Congress president Sonia Gandhi moved decisively by asking both beleaguered leaders to opt out of the electoral arena. What ostensibly forced the high command’s hand was the blunt feedback from Punjab that any delay in dropping Tytler and Sajjan would seriously undermine the Congress’s poll prospects. Former CM Amarinder Singh amplified the party’s nervousness saying the resurrection of the riots issue had aroused the sentiments of the Sikh youth, and that allowing Akalis to stoke the emotive issue would make the going much tougher for three GenNext candidates handpicked by Rahul Gandhi. The Gandhi scion had ensured tickets to Ravneet Singh Bittu (Anandpur Sahib), Sukhwinder Singh Danny (Faridkot-reserve) and Vijay Inder Singla (Sangrur). However, a palpable pro-Congress groundswell across Punjab suddenly seemed to swing into antagonism for the party riding on anti-incumbency sentiment against the SAD-BJP rule until last week.While the Congress has reason to heave a sigh of comfort, all of a sudden SAD, which was staring at grim poll prospects and was rattled by a spate of defections to the Congress, has spring in its feet. “At stake is not tickets to the accused, but the core issue of punishment of the guilty and the CBI’s dubious role,” said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.Implicit in the SAD’s game plan to throw the Congress off balance is its move of pitching the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee — the apex Sikh religious body controlled by SAD – as the spearhead of a shrill tirade pegged to the riots. The Akalis have another reason to milk the issue. A running animosity between Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda, with a sizable following in the Malwa, and the Sikhs has cast a shadow on SAD poll prospects. In the 2007 Assembly elections, the Dera openly supported the Congress, leading to the SAD rout in its turf. Clearly despite the Congress backing off, the election heat in Punjab is poised to rise.

Shoe hits home after two days, Tytler, Sajjan out of poll race
Journalist Jarnail Singh’s size-9 Reebok shoe may have missed P. Chidambaram on Tuesday, but two days later, it brought down two Delhi political heavyweights, Congress MPs and candidates Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar.“Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar will not be the Congress candidates in the Lok Sabha elections,” announced Congress general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi on Thursday. Here is what he didn’t say: they had been asked to step down.But that was later in the evening. The day began with the run up to a Delhi court case on allegations of Tytler’s involvement in the 1984 riots. It was postponed to another date, amid protests and burning of effigies outside court premises.Outside courts again, claims and counterclaims flew thick. Protestors alleged being pushed around by Tytler’s men and the Congress leader alleged he was being targeted. News channels had a busy day.Later in the afternoon Tytler told a news conference at his house, “In my heart I know this incident has embarrassed my party and me and I would not like to contest the elections.” That was the first indication of things to come.

And then the Congress leader said he was leaving it to his party. His party, however, was not forthcoming immediately. Its leaders had been in a huddle for the last two days starting with the shoe throwing at its head office on Tuesday.The party had taken the position that its president would decide after she returned from campaigning down south. She returned Wednesday night, and consultations began in earnest. They had to close the issue quickly.“Sonia had assiduously built bridges with the Sikh community over the last few years,” said a source not authorised to speak to reporters, adding, “she was anxious to protect this relationship from further damage.”Something had to give here.The Punjab unit of the party chipped in, telling the central leader very bluntly: get rid of Tytler and Kumar. The party is likely to do well here in the elections and let’s please not do anything to spoil our chances. Former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh, who is spearheading the Punjab campaign panel, told Delhi the resurrection of 1984 had upset the Sikh youth, who form roughly 65 per cent of the electorate in the state.If they dumped the Congress, Singh argued, it would be difficult to ensure the victory of the three GenNext candidates handpicked by Rahul Gandhi — Ravneet Singh Bittu, Sukhwinder Singh Danny and Vijay Inder Singla.Singh was not exaggerating. Desperately fighting anti-incumbency, the ruling Akali Dal had very quickly latched on to the shoe throwing incident -- deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal was almost constantly on news channels talking up the issue.Party seniors didn’t need any more convincing now. Foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee and political secretary Ahmad Patel were entrusted with the task of talking to Tytler and Sajjan Kumar.While the shoe-thrower was protesting CBI’s clean chit to Tytler, Sajjan Kumar got pulled in because of allegations of involvement in the riots against him. “Mukherjee and Patel conveyed to them Sonia’s anxiety,” said a source.Kumar didn’t make any public statements, but Tytler did, saying he was leaving it to the party. And then later qualified it by saying his heart tells him not to contest. And he will not.Their replacements will be named shortly.