Jagdish Tytler

Jagdish Tytler Biography

Jagdish Tytler is an Indian politician associated with Indian National Congress. He is a former parliamentarian too, and a very influential politician during the 1980s. His name is always linked with the infamous 1984 anti-Sikh riots, where he is accused of master planning the huge massacre which killed thousands of Sikhs in Delhi and surrounding places, soon after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. But in November 2007, Central Bureau of Investigation closed all cases against Jagdish Tytler. During his tenure as parliamentarian he has served as Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs.

Jagdish Tytler was born in Gujranwala, Punjab in British India. Currently he resides in New Delhi. He was born on 17 August 1944. His father was Punjabi Hindu while his mother, a Sikh woman. He was later brought up by eminent educationist James Douglas Tytler. He also changed to Christianity and adopted new surname too. As a politician, he was introduced to the political scene as a youth leader and a "disciple" of Sanjay Gandhi. He successfully contested Lok Sabha elections in 1980 on Congress ticket, and kept close links with Gandhi family.

During his first tenure as parliamentarian, he served as Union Minister in the Civil Aviation department and then in the Labor department. He joined Lok Sabha for the second time in 1991 and served as the Union Minister of State for Surface Transport. He hot elected to Lok Sabha for the third time in 2004. As per the official report of the Nanavati Commission, there were 'credible evidences' against Tytler for conspiracy and master plan for 1984 Sikh riots. Tytler claimed innocence, and acquitted of charges in 2007.

Published: August 30, 2018

Updated: August 30, 2018