Jarnail Singh, the journalist who lobbed a shoe at Home Minister P Chidambaram, has said that it was 'laughable' that politicians were linking him with Akali Dal, instead of addressing the issue of justice to the victims of the mindless anti-Sikh violence of 1984.The journalist had come into focus after he hurled a shoe at Chidambaram during a press conference yesterday, to protest against the CBI's clean chit to senior Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, an accused in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. Earlier in the day, Tytler had called Jarnail Singh an Akali Dal member.
"Some politician have called me an Akali Dal activist. It is only laughable. I have no affiliation or membership of any political party. I am a neutral journalist and am proud of my neutrality," said Jarnail Singh.
"Politicians are making senseless allegations against me and my political affiliation. I have made it clear that I am not against any political party, including the Congress.
"Politicians should concentrate on the issue of justice to the Sikh community instead of trying to politicise my protest," Singh said.
Referring to the Nanavati Commission that indicted Tytler and other Congress leaders for the anti-Sikh riots, Jarnail Singh said that the Sikh community was ready to accept the apology of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, AICC president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi after the commission had submitted its report.
"But this clean chit and the Lok Sabha nomination is only reminding the Sikh community of the atrocity perpetrated on it in 1984 and even after waiting patiently for the last two-and-a-half-decade. Justice has not been done," he said.
Stating that the Sikh community was ready to forget the riots, provided justice was delivered for the victims. "There is not even symbolism to show that justice is being done to the victims," he said.
On the cash awards and jobs being offered to him after yesterday's shoe-pelting incident, the journalist said the political parties were only trying to cash in on the episode by politicising it.
"Instead, they should offer help to the poor victims by hiring good lawyers for them and providing jobs to their families. I humbly refuse to accept these cash awards," he said.
Regarding Sikh groups planning protests holding shoes, Jarnail Singh appealed to them not to indulge in such acts, but to hold their protests peacefully.
Thanking Chidambaram for showing understanding to his emotional outburst, the journalist said that he did not intend to hurt anybody and that was why he just lobbed his shoe to the vacant spot beside the Minister.
"I did not throw the shoe. I only lobbed it, that too away from Chidambaram. As a journalist, I regret the way I protested. But I reiterate that the issue I raised was just," he said.
Stating that he was pained that politicians were trying to take advantage of his protest, Jarnail Singh said that he was against violence and appealed to the government to bring in a legislation against communal violence on the lines of the anti-terror law.
Noting that the Sikh community had come a long way since the 1984 riots, Jarnail Singh said that it would not be sensible for the government if the scar of injustice meted out to the victims continued to remain in the community's heart.
"The government should understand that injustice done even 5,000 years ago can still cause hurt and wound in the hearts of the people living today. The issues are emotional in nature and the government should consider delivering justice to heal those wounds," he added.