Tuesday, August 9 2005 21:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Under attack in the wake of his being named in the Nanavati Commission report on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Union Minister Jagdish Tytler today (Aug 9, 2005) claimed innocence and ruled out his resignation.

Projected himself as a "victim of misperception," he also claimed that not a single person affected by the violence had filed an FIR against him in the last 21 years.

A day after the report of the Justice Nanavati Commission pointed a finger of suspicion against him, Tytler addressed a press conference at his official residence in which he claimed that the affidavit on the basis of which the Judge had made the adverse comment was itself false.

He also ruled out resigning from his post, saying the Congress had supported him fully.

"I was in Amethi on October 31, 1984 when Indira Gandhi was assassinated. On November one, 1984, right from the morning, I was near the body of Indiraji the whole day as can be verified from Doordarshan which was covering it for 24 hours," Tytler said.

"The affidavit of Surender Singh (on the basis of which Justice Nanavati said Tytler was 'probably' involved) says he saw me leading a mob at nine am on that day. How can I be at two places at the same time," he asked.

Surender Singh had filed the first affidavit in English but later said he cannot read or write the language.

Surender later filed another affidavit in Gurmukhi saying he said he had not seen Tytler leading the mob, but Nanavati had not considered it saying it may have been written under pressure, Tytler said.

"Justice Nanavati never asked me, he should have asked me," he said.

The Minister reminded the newspersons that he had not been named directly or indirectly in any of the eight Commissions on the 1984 riots that preceded Justice Nanavati.

Claiming that there was a wrong perception about his involvement in the riots, he appealed to the newspersons, "Please help me, I am a victim, I have been a victim for so long. I am appealing to your conscience, my whole political career is in your hands."

Tytler said he had asked the then Delhi Police Commissioner in 1996 whether any FIR was registered against him in connection with the riots. "He informed me that not a single FIR was there against me."

He said the CBI had also given him a clean chit after interviewing members of 900 households on the orders of the Delhi High Court. "Not a single person spoke against me."

Tytler said his own advocate had asked the Court to order the CBI probe as his name had come up in the course of argument about the involvement of a senior policeman in the riots.