Thursday, August 11 2005 17:27 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Asserting that the resignation of Union Minister Jagdish Tytler will not "absolve" the Congress of its role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) today (Aug 11, 2005) demanded that both the Prime Minister and Congress President apologise to the nation for the "carnage" on behalf of their party.

"Tytler's resignation and Sajjan Kumar's stepping down as Chairman of Delhi Rural Development Board does not absolve Congress of its role in the carnage. It will not wash off their sins. The chapter is not closed", BJP Parliamentary Party spokesman V K Malhotra told reporters here.

Refuting suggestions that the party was "soft" on the Nanavati Commission report as the judge was presiding over another panel on the Gujarat riots whose findings were awaited, he said, "We don't agree with the clean chit given by it to the then Prime Minister and the then Home Minister".

"The people of this country will not be satisfied until and unless all FIRs are taken up and pursued in courts of law and the Prime Minister and Congress President Sonia Gandhi apologise on behalf of the party", he said.

Taking strong exception to Tytler submitting his routing his resignation through Gandhi, he said, "At every step, Manmohan Singh is being reminded that he is Prime Minister only for namesake and the real power lies elsewhere".

He also took exception to the photograph of Sonia Gandhi being carried on the cover of a Hindi software tool prepared by the Information Technology Ministry and distributed among MPs today and questioned her locus standi.

Asked whether Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi too would resign over the post-Godhra riots, he said, "Modi has not been indicted by any court. The question will arise when any Commission makes similar charges."