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Congress leader Jagdish Tytler termed as a 'total lie' the allegations of some 40 civil right activists that he was actively involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
The former Congress Union has wriggled out of the controversy raked up over an award to him by deciding not to attend the award ceremony in New Delhi on Saturday "so as not to embarrass other awardees and the organisers."
He acted on the public appeal of the activists to boycott the award ceremony and two eminent persons -- senior journalist Zafar Agha and Gujarat IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt -- refusing to accept the award in the company of an 'anti-Sikh progrom culprit'.
Academy general secretary M Saleem, who circulated Tytler's letter on Friday, however, did not say if the award to him stands withdrawn.
Tytler asserts in his letter stated that "my name has been cleared by the Hon'ble Court and there was never a case against me and above all there is not a single FIR against me."
He also attached the link of his website where he has uploaded all original court papers and other relevant documents and videos "which tells the actual story."
Not a single person who did research on the heinous crime of 1984 riots came and questioned me and yet he is subjected to tarnishing of his image for political mileage and other vested interests, he added.