Wednesday, August 10 2005 15:24 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: A delegation of Left parties leaders today (August 10, 2005) met a group of ministers and demanded "action" against Union Minister Jagdish Tytler and Congress MP Sajjan Kumar and promised to oppose the adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha if the government met these demands.

CPI(M) leader Hannan Mollah said after the meeting that they wanted four issues should be taken up by the government. The first proposal was further action should be against Tytler and second probe should be completed and action taken against Kumar.

Probe should also be continued against the then Delhi Police Commissioner S C Tandon and orphans of the anti-Sikh riots and help should be provided to orphans of the riots.

"These four the government agreed and if they declare that after the debate in the House that they will accept these four demands then we will oppose the motion brought by the NDA," Mollah said.

Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister Shivraj V Patil, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Congress President Sonia Gandhi's Political Secretary Ahmed Patel were present on the government side.

Mollah said "the Action Taken Report (of the government) is a failure. But at least whatever positive is that should be implemented."

When told that the ATR was "silent" on Tytler's role, Mollah said, "credible evidence is there they say. On the basis of that, they can take action".

Asked whether Tytler should step down from the Council of Ministers, he said, "it is upto the Government (to decide)".

On what would be the party's response if there was no amendment of ATR, he said, "we will oppose the Adjournment Motion".

A Left party leader claimed that a "broad understanding" has been reached with the government that the "complicity" of Tytler, "however feeble" should be looked into.

"The traceable and untraceable evidences against Sajjan Kumar must be probed and the cases reopened", the Left leaders told the Government.

They said the role of then police officers including Tandon should be probed even if they are retired and the guilty brought to book.

The Left parties were of the view that the then Delhi Congress strongman H K L Bhagat should also be brought to book even if he is unwell.

They also wanted that the kin of the deceased riot victims to be provided government jobs and proper compensation be given to them.

Among others present at the meeting were Basudeb Acharia, Nilotpal Basu and Mohd Salim (CPI-M), Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI), Manoj Bhattacharya (RSP) and Birsingh Mahato(FB).