Day 4, Govt reaches out to protesters

The Ministers, accompanied by Delhi Police Commissioner K.K. Paul, accepted a memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. ‘‘We have come as representatives of the government. We understand your feelings,’’ Jaiswal told them.

Referring to Singh’s intervention in Parliament during discussions on the Nanavati report, Jaiswal said that ‘‘even the Prime Minister’s eyes brimmed over. He has felt your pain, the government has felt your pain.’’

He said that if justice was not done even after 21 years, it represented a ‘‘failure of the system, of the law. We will fully follow the findings of the Commission and implement its recommendations as early as possible,’’ he said.

Jaiswal said that the government had already decided that the rate of compensation for riot victims would be uniform across the country, and all pending claims would be settled in ‘‘two to three months.’’

Children of riot victims would be given government jobs soon, he assured.

Won’t quit Lok Sabha seat, says Tytler

CHENNAI: Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, who resigned from his post as Union Minister for NRI affairs, has categorically said he will not resign his membership of the Lok Sabha. Tytler resigned as minister following the release of the Nanavati Commission report. Tytler, who was in the city to attend a private function, said there was no need for him to quit the Lok Sabha also, as ‘‘Sikh brethren’’ had also voted to elect him to Parliament.

New Delhi: Independent MP and chairman of National Commission for Minorities Tarlochan Singh on Friday moved a proposal before Parliament that the Constitution be amended to give Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists separate identities. Singh said “Hindus” as mentioned in Article 25 should be replaced with “Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists”.

New Delhi: The Shiromani Akali Dal is not impressed by the apology tendered by the PM. It said the statement came under ‘‘pressure from public and Parliament.’’ Akali Dal president Parkash Singh Badal on Friday met President Abdul Kalam and sought his intervention in ensuring action against those found guilty by the Nanavati Commission. — ENS