New Delhi, India (November 17, 2013): Apparently unconcerned of all potential controversy it would spawn, the Congress has nominated the son of former Congress parliamentarian Sajjan Kumar to contest Delhi assembly elections from a south Delhi seat.
Jagparvesh Kumar, also a district Congress committee president, has been fielded by the party from Sangam Vihar assembly constituency.
Sajjan Kumar, along with senior party leader Jagdish Tytler, is a prime accused in November 1984 Sikh genocide that resulted in massacre of thousands of Sikhs in organized massacre of Sikhs.
Notably, the Congress in 2009 Parliamentary polls had decided to field Sajjan Kumar from south Delhi seat but had to relent in wake of stiff opposition to his candidature from various Sikh circles. The party, however, awarded the ticket to his brother Ramesh Kumar.
Describing the decision to give Sajjan Kumar’s son Jagparvesh Kumar an assembly ticket as a ‘betrayal’ by the Congress party, senior Supreme Court advocate Harvinder Singh Phoolka, who is representing victims in the Novemeber 1984 carnage related cases said, “The Congress does not care about the sentiments of the victims. And though the Congress has said that it has denied tickets to those guilty of November 1984 carnage, it is not true.”
“It is rewarding family members. It is purely because of Sajjan Kumar [that his family is getting tickets]. Earlier his (Sajjan Kumar’s) brother was given a ticket and he became an MP and now his son has been given a ticket for the assembly elections,” Advocate Phoolka reportedly said.
Sajjan Kumar is one of the prime accused of November 1984 Sikh genocide, who has enjoyed state patronage and high political seats in Indian setup for last 29 years.