From correspondents in Delhi, India, 09:00 PM IST

The scribe who tossed a shoe at Home Minister P. Chidambaram earlier this month Tuesday denied Congress leader Jagdish Tytler's allegation that there was a conspiracy behind his protest.

'I squarely refute the charges of Jagdish Tytler in a section of the press that there was a conspiracy behind my protest at the press conference of Home Minister P. Chidambram,' said Jarnail Singh in a statement.

He said his protest was not against any individual or part of any design. He alleged that Tytler's attempt was to divert attention from the real issue.

Tytler, a former central government minister, had sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the shoe attack by the journalist on Chidambaram.

The shoe-throwing incident brought Tytler's alleged role in the 1984 Sikh riots back into the limelight followed by widespread protests by members of the Sikh community, which apparently led to the Congress asking Tytler not to contest the Lok Sabha election.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)