New Delhi: The Central Government's decision to set up a Special Investigation Team to probe the closed cases of 1984 anti-Sikh riots has not been received well by opposition. Both Congress and Aam Aadmi Party called it an electoral ploy, questioning the timing of the development.
According to the reports, the Home Ministry took a decision to look into the cases that have been closed by Delhi Police over the years. Though, any official statement has yet to be made, the story is making rounds in media circuits. The official announcement will be made after the Delhi assembly elections on February 7.
Mentioning that his government had already formed an SIT to investigate the cases, AAP chief Arvind Kejrival said, “The riots called for deep analysis and research. The Aam Aadmi Party had formed a SIT but as soon as our government was removed from power, the Union government put the idea in cold storage”.
AAP member advocate H.S. Phoolka, who has been fighting for the justice of riot victims, called the timing highly suspicious. He said, Just a week before election, a leak has come in the media. This is very unfortunate. It is a joke in the riot victims".
Bringing out the details Phoolka told that 237 cases have been closed by Delhi Police and two cases are still pending investigation by CBI. He said that all the cases need to be re-looked and not only the selective ones.
Randeep Singh Surjewala, Haryana's Congress MLA said, "Why raise the issue just four-five days prior to elections? Is this an electoral ploy? Justice cannot be an electoral game”
“Any injustice done in Gujarat, Muzaffarnagar, should all be investigated and (the guilty) brought to book," he further added.
Recently, Home Minister Rajnath Singh termed the riots as ‘genocide' and assured the victims of justice. His junior in the ministry, Kiren Rijiju denied any political motive and said that everything should not be looked from the perspective of elections.
According to a report by leading daily, government decision to form an SIT came after a panel headed by Justice (retired) GP Mathur recommended for fresh investigations into the cases where police closed the cases despite having evidence. The panel said that there are 225 such cases and these include cases against Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar.
The riots that took place after the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards took nearly 3000 lives. It was alleged that the riots were planned by some Congress leaders.
