Indian Sikhs step up protests ahead of election

Hundreds of Sikhs protested at a court in the Indian capital Thursday as judges looked into a case related to mass killings of members of the religious community 25 years ago.

Sikh community leaders have been furious since last week, when federal detectives said they had no evidence to link a former minister from the governing Congress party with the 1984 pogrom.

The anti-Sikh massacres were sparked by the assassination of prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. At least 2,700 Sikhs died at the hands of Hindu mobs.

The New Delhi court is currently examining fresh evidence that alleges former minister and sitting Congress MP Jagdish Tytler incited violence, and could rule that he face formal charges and stand trial.

Indian media reports say the Congress party -- alarmed by the ferocity of the Sikh protests -- is now thinking of dropping Tytler from its list of candidates for this month's general elections.

Tytler says he is innocent, but told reporters after the latest demonstrations that he was considering pulling out of the campaign.

"A lot of embarrassment has been caused to the party. I don't think I should fight," said Tytler, adding he was awaiting the verdict of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.

Tytler was forced to quit Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's cabinet in August 2005 after a commission indicted him in the riots -- still a major source of bitterness for India's Sikhs.

Premier Singh, a Sikh himself, apologised for the riots in parliament in 2005 and Indira Gandhi's grandson Rahul last year visited the Golden Temple, Sikhism's holiest shrine, and said the riots "were absolutely wrong."

In Thursday's demonstration, around 200 Sikhs entered the New Delhi court premises, waving banners and shouting slogans, an AFP photographer said.

Court proceedings were then adjourned to April 28 and 29, officials said.

Earlier this week, a Sikh newspaper reporter hurled a shoe at India's Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram as he was addressing a press conference.