Protests against acquittal of Sajjan Kumar, Metro affected

/Jammu May 1: Angry Sikhs on Wednesday staged

in Delhi and Jammu over acquittal of Congress leader

in an anti-Sikh riots case, blocking Jammu-Kashmir Highway and Metro services in the capital.

The protests in the national capital were in west Delhi where the Sikh population is substantial. Shouting slogans and carrying placards like 'Hang 1984 Culprits' and 'Give us Justice', the protesters marched to Tilak Nagar Police Station and blocked traffic in the area. Later, a protest was also staged outside Tilak Nagar police station.

A group of protesters entered the Subhash Nagar Metro Station in west Delhi and sat on tracks at around 12:45 PM disrupting services. As a precautionary measure, the Metro stations at Subhash Nagar and Tilak Nagar, where there is a considerable population of Sikhs, were closed for the public. A Delhi Metro official said Subhash Nagar station was opened for public at 2:38 PM and Tilak Nagar station at 2:52 PM. "After 30 years we are yet to get justice. Government should feel ashamed. We will never forget and forgive who allowed culprits get scot free. We want justice," one of the protesters said.

Kumar, a former Congress MP, was acquitted by a court here yesterday in one of the cases of 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Yesterday, a large number of people had gathered at the court complex and one of them had even thrown a shoe at the judge after the pronouncement of the verdict. Sikh groups in Jammu held protests over the acquittal of Kumar and blocked the Jammu-Kashmir Highway.

Activists of several Sikh organisations led by Harjeet Singh sat on a dharna and took out demonstrations at Digiana on the outskirts of the city. Raising anti-government slogans, the protesters termed the acquittal of the Congress leader as an "injustice" to the Sikh community in the country. "3000 Sikhs were killed on the roads of Delhi, they were brutally murdered, their houses were burnt down," Singh told reporters, adding the judgement has shocked the entire Sikh community, which was hoping for justice.

"We will fight back. We want justice. We don't have any faith in the Congress government", he said. In Talab Tiloo area of Jammu, a group of Sikh youths held demonstrations against the acquittal of Kumar. "Hearts of all Sikhs are weeping over the judgement," Charanjeet Singh, a protester, said.

PTI