Sajjan Kumar acquittal: Sikhs protest outside Sonia’s residence

Sikh groups on Thursday protested outside party chief Sonia Gandhi’s residence at 10, Janpath in the capital.

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Angry over the acquittal of former MP Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, Sikh groups on Thursday protested outside Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s residence and the party office in the national capital. Burning effigies of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sajjan Kumar, different Sikh groups gathered outside Gandhi`s 10, Janpath residence. Protesters tried to break barricades put up by the Delhi Police in view of the planned protests. "Over a thousand protesters marched towards Sonia Gandhi`s residence, breaking two barricades. But they were blocked by the policemen. Similar scenes were witnessed at 24, Akbar Road (the Congress office)," a senior police officer said. Akbar Road, Motilal Nehru Marg, Krishna Menon Marg, Mansingh Road, Maulana Azad Road and Janpath in New Delhi area have been closed due to the protests. On Wednesday, two Metro stations in West Delhi – Tilak Nagar and Subhash Nagar – were closed down after Sikh protesters stormed the facility and disrupted services. Sajjan Kumar was acquitted by a court in Delhi on Tuesday in one of the 1984 riots cases. Sikh groups had protested outside the court complex on Tuesday as well. One of the protesters had even thrown a shoe at the judge.