NEW DELHI, 12 August 2005 — Senior Congress member of Parliament Sajjan Kumar became the second prominent Congress figure to submit his resignation as the Chairman of Delhi Rural Development Board (DRDB), a day after Union Minister Jagdish Tytler quit over his alleged involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

On grounds of there being “credible material” against Kumar, the Nanavati Commission recommended the examination of six cases against him, which were closed as untraced and this prompted Kumar to quit his post as pressure on the Congress party mounted.

Eager to limit damage to Congress party, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh apologized yesterday for the riots two decades ago that killed nearly 3,000 Sikhs and were blamed on the Congress. Singh’s apology, the first by a senior Congress leader in years, came after angry protests following the Nanavati report that named some party leaders for their involvement in the violence.

The prime minister told the upper house of Parliament he was responding to demands by many groups, including opposition parties and Sikh bodies, for an apology from the government which was seen initially as trying to brush the report aside.

“I have no hesitation in apologizing, not only to the Sikh community, but to the whole Indian nation because what took place in 1984 is the negation of the concept of nationhood enshrined in our constitution,” he said.

“So I am not standing on any false prestige. On behalf of our government, on behalf of the entire people of this country I bow my head in shame that such a thing took place.”

Demanding action against Tytler and others, BJP leader Rajnath Singh said: “His (Tytler’s) resignation is not enough. He should be prosecuted along with others like Sajjan Kumar and Dharam Dass Shastri. The role of H.K.L. Bhagat, Kamal Nath and Vasant Sathe should also be further investigated.”

Manmohan appealed to political parties not to play politics. “The past cannot be undone. But as a united nation, we must try to find new ways so as to ensure that the country does not go this way again. Whether Gujarat or any other part of the country, such incidents should not recur,” he said.

Meanwhile, the aggressive tone used by BJP demanding action against Congress leaders involved in 1984 anti-Sikh riots has prompted Muslim victims of Gujarat carnage to raise similar questions against BJP leaders. Zakia Jafri, whose husband Ehsan Jafri was killed in the Gulbarg Society massacre, asked: “Does the BJP have a stand on this issue? Do they have the moral right to protest? Look at what their government is doing in Gujarat. Aren’t they protecting and harboring the riot accused in spite of clear evidence and witnesses giving names? This is the BJP’s hypocrisy. If it wants the Congress to take action against its party men, why doesn’t the BJP do the same?”

About 600 cases of arson, killing and rioting were registered, but police closed half of them, ostensibly for lack of evidence. Around 10 people have been convicted of murder.

Commentators said the inquiry report showed justice had not yet been done in the anti-Sikh riots and Manmohan should act on his promise to punish the guilty. “Getting away with murder ... undermines the quality of our democracy,” the Indian Express said in an editorial on Thursday. “That is why this chance of a second shot at justice in the 1984 carnage should be seized with both hands.”

“As a nation, we cannot afford to go wrong on it again.”