Thursday, August 11 2005 11:20 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Union Minister for NRI Affairs Jagdish Tytler resigned yesterday (Aug 10, 2005) night following his indictment by the Nanavati Commission and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's promise in the Lok Sabha that the Government will reopen and re-examine specific cases mentioned in the probe report.

As pressure mounted on the Government following strident demands from the Opposition and allied Left parties seeking action against him, Tytler met Congress President Sonia Gandhi late in the night and tendered his resignation with a request that it be forwarded to the Prime Minister.

Earlier in the day as the Lok Sabha took up for debate an opposition sponsored adjournment motion on the subject, he met the Prime Minister and told him that he would meet Gandhi.

"Why should I put the party in trouble? I want my name to be cleared expeditiously," the 61-year-old third term MP from Delhi Sadar told reporters in New Delhi.

"Does it look good to say that I will stick to my post and face the enquiry? Since the media and the Opposition have created a perception to the whole world that we have done some thing fishy, I think what the Prime Minister has done (offering fresh probe) is right," he said after his resignation.

The Commission, whose report was tabled in Parliament on Monday, had recommended necessary action against Tytler against whom it felt there was 'credible' evidence and had 'very probably' organised attacks against Sikhs in the capital in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi's assassination in 1984.

Asked whether he has been isolated in the party, Tytler said "Not at all. I have 100 per cent backing of the party. Nobody had asked me to resign. If I had been isolated I would have been asked to resigned."

The continuance of Tytler in the Council of Ministers appeared untenable ever since the report was tabled in Parliament though the action taken report of the Government had ruled out any action against him on the ground that prosecution cannot be launched on the basis of probability.

The Left parties demand for action against Tytler and other Congress leaders

While as anticipated the Opposition mounted an attack on the ATR, the stridency of the Left parties demand for action against Tytler and other Congress leaders mentioned in the report cast the die against him.

Intervening in the debate in the Lok Sabha, the Prime Minister promised that wherever the Commission had named specific individuals as needing further examination or specific cases needing reopening and re-examination, the Government would take all possible steps to do so within the ambit of law.

"This is a solemn promise and solemn commitment to this House," he said after the opposition had slammed the Government accusing it of inaction on the Commission's recommendations.

The Prime Minister said though there is absolutely no evidence that Rajiv Gandhi or any other high-ranking Congress leaders had organised the attacks, there was something called perception and sentiments of the House.

"Government respects that sentiments," he added promising action.

Both Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left parties who, however, said this was not enough and action should be taken against Congress MP Sajjan Kumar and others indicted by the Commission welcomed Tytler's resignation.