Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has demanded setting up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the killings of Sikhs in 1984 riots. Kejriwal met lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung on Wednesday to discuss the matter and said he is very positive on it.
The CM’s move came a couple of days after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi admitted the role of some Congress leaders in the pogrom. The parameters and scope of SIT to probe anti-Sikh riots will be finalised at a Cabinet meeting on Friday.
The BJP leaders along its alliance Shiromani Akali Dal leaders too met Jung and demanded an SIT probe into the riots. leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Harsh Vardhan said that the BJP has been demanding SIT for the 1984 massacre of Sikhs engineered and executed by the Congress while Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh
lovely said that AAP Government is diverting the issue by demanding SIT to probe anti-Sikh riots. After meeting with the lieutenant-Governor, Kejriwal said, “I have discussed the matter with the lieutenant-Governor and he was positive about it. As far as constitution of an SIT and fixing the terms of reference are concerned, we will decide that at the next Cabinet meeting by Friday.”
Over half dozen Commission that include Ved Marwah Commission, Rangnath Mishra Commission, Kapur Mittal Committee, Jain Banerjee Committee, Potti Rosha Committee, Jain Agarwal Committee, Ahuja Committee, Narula Committee and Justice Nanawati Commission had probed the anti-Sikh riots that took place 30 years ago. The Delhi Police had registered 541 FIRs. Of these 250 had been closed due to want of witnesses and proof.
Sources said, by demanding an SIT, Kejriwal has tried to dispel the allegations that the AAP is the B team of Congress. Besides, he has also tried to give a strong message to woo minorities — including Sikh voters that ahead of coming lok Sabha elections this year. Sikhs constitute approximately 5 per cent of Delhi’s population and are also a major force in Haryana, which is the next State on AAP’s radar. Delhi, Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana constitute a total of 31 seats in the lok Sabha.