By IANS,
New Delhi : Minutes after journalist Jarnail Singh was whisked away by the police for tossing his shoe at Home Minister P. Chidambaram, a large number of people from Sikh community gathered outside the Tughlak Road police station here and raised slogans in his support.
Singh’s brother Karnail Singh and some of his neighbours gathered outside the police station. Some people shouted slogans in Singh’s support as a number of media persons and curious onlookers watched them.
“Jarnail Singh has vented the anguish of the Sikhs against all those who perpetrated the anti-Sikh riots. His action is not justified but we support him anyway,” said Babu Singh Dukhiya, who heads an NGO – National 1984 Victims Justice and Welfare society.
Sunita Tiwari, who claimed to be the journalist’s lawyer, alleged that she was not allowed to talk to him.
“Police inside the police station misbehaved with me. The SHO (station house officer) asked the constables to take me out of the room. I wanted to talk to Singh as he was mentally disturbed,” she said.
Inside the police station, Singh admitted to his mistake before the officials, who questioned him for at least 45 minutes, acording to police sources.
Tughlak Road police station SHO Anil Kumar Yadav said Singh was let off in half-an-hour after questioning.
“No case has been registered against him. He has regretted his action,” said Yadav, adding that they had to leave him as no one filed any complaint and even the home minister did not want any action to be taken against him.
He was first taken out of the police station and whisked away in a police vehicle. But 10 minutes later, he was dropped outside the police station in the same vehicle.
Jarnail Singh’s mother and brother defended his action.
“He was trying to say something, but no attention was being paid to him. That is why he got angry. Generally he never gets angry,” his mother Naseeb Kaur said.
His brother Karnail Singh said 25 years have passed after the 1984 riots but Sikhs are still waiting for justice.
“The Sikh community is hurt about it. My brother was trying to put some questions, trying to get the minister listen to him,” he said.