Journalist throws shoe at Home Minister P Chidambaram in Press Conference for not delivering justice to the victims of the anti-Sikh riots in 1984.
Recently after shoe-throwing incident last December when Iraqi journalist Muntazer-al-Zaidi flung a shoe at then US President George W Bush. This time around, a shoe was thrown at Union Home Minister P Chidambaram for not delivering justice to the victims of the anti-Sikh riots in 1984. The shoe thrower was Sikh journalist Jarnail Singh of Dainik Jagran. Like Bush, Chidambaram, too, was not hit.
It all happened at the press briefing when Chidambaram was replying to Singh's questions on the denial of justice to 1984 riot victims. Singh went on to criticise the party, at which point Chidambaram interrupted him saying he did not want to enter into a political debate. "Please ask your question," stated the Union Minister. Singh then asked whether there was any pressure on the CBI under the Home Ministry to let off Jagdish Tytler.
Chidambaram replied that the administrative Ministry for the CBI was the Ministry of Personnel and not the Ministry of Home Affairs. Neither the Home Ministry nor any other Ministry puts any pressure on the CBI, he added.
When Singh spoke again, Chidambaram said, "No arguments...." "I protest," said Singh and took off his whiteblack striped sneaker and flung it at the Home Minister. The shoe whizzed passed Chidambaram.
As Congress workers held Singh, Chidambaram asked them to take him away gently.
Chidambaram urged journalists to continue the press meet. "Please ask questions. Let not an emotional action of one person hijack the entire press conference." When a reporter asked him about the fate of Singh and whether he would forgive him, Chidambaram replied, "Yes, I forgive him." Singh, who was later taken by police, was released as Chidambaram said he forgave him. However, Jagran management took the matter seriously and said it was planning "disciplinary action" against the journalist for the "shameful act." With questions over their alleged role in the riots coming up again following the shoe hurling incident, Congress indicated it was open to reviewing the candidatures of Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar. "Congress is a large party and it takes considered decisions at appropriate time. Let us see what solutions emerge in the future," party spokesman Ashwini Kumar said.
Kumar was asked to comment whether the party would withdraw nominations to Tytler and Sajjan Kumar, who have been named as party candidates in two constituencies in the capital.
On his part, Tytler steered clear of the issue saying for him the matter was "closed." "For me the case is closed...You newspaper people will have to decide what you must do with your colleague," Tytler said when asked about the shoethrowing incident
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