Let SIT probe ’84 riots cases, govt tells L-G

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on Wednesday to discuss the issue. “I have asked the L-G to form an SIT and he was positive on the issue,” Kejriwal said.

Asked about whether the 30-year delay in setting up an SIT might make it tough to gather evidence, Minister Manish Sisodia said, “If we work honestly and with conviction, we can attain anything.”

Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Harsh Vardhan said the BJP had always advocated the formation of an SIT to investigate the anti-Sikh riots.

“Rahul Gandhi, who is dreaming about becoming PM, should first order an investigation against his own party members. The Congress has been protecting its leaders all this while,” he said.

The contradictory voices, however, came from the Congress. The Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely said the AAP government is doing everything except fulfilling its promises. “AAP is playing political games in the name of religion.

It used to say it is different from other parties, but it too is exploiting religious sentiments. If something comes of the SIT, we would be most happy.

Previously, the BJP government too had set up commissions to hear riots cases. What happened to those commissions? It was our PM who apologised for the riots on the floor of the House,”he said.

Kejriwal’s move has put the Congress in a bind. It comes at a time when the party — led by vice-president Rahul Gandhi — has revived its attack on Narendra Modi over the 2002 Gujarat riots.

The AICC on Wednesday said although four commissions have probed the riots over the years, it still would not object to yet another probe.

“Any investigation that is just and lawful, we have always accepted it with utmost humility, Any demand that is made by the CM of Delhi would be accordingly, I sincerely believe, dealt with by the L-G,” Congress spokesperson Randip Singh Surjewala said.

30 years, 9 panel probes

Marwah Commission: Appointed in November 1984.  Ved Marwah, Addl Commissioner of Police, enquired into the role of police during the riots.

Misra Commission: Appointed in May1985. Justice Ranganath Misra, a sitting judge of the Supreme Court, looked into whether the violence was organised. He submitted his report in 1986.

Dhillon Committee: Appointed in 1985. It was headed by Gurdial Singh Dhillon to recommend measures for rehabilitation of victims. He submitted his report in December 1985.

Kapur Mittal Committee: Appointed in 1987 on the recommendation of Misra Commission to enquire into the role of police. Justice Dalip Kapur and retired secretary of UP Kusum Mittal found 72 police officers guilty of connivance.

Jain Banerjee Committee: Set up on the recommendation of the Misra Commission for recommending registration of cases.  Justice M L Jain and  retired IGP A K Banerjee recommended registration of cases against Sajjan Kumar.

Potti Rosha Committee: Appointed in March 1990 as a successor to Jain Banerjee Committee.

Jain Aggarwal Committee: Appointed in 1990. It recommended registration of cases against HKL Bhagat, Sajjan Kumar, Dharamdas Shastri and Jagdish Tytler.

Narula Committee: Appointed in 1993. It recommended registration of cases against Bhagat, Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler, but the report was rejected.

Nanavati Commission: Appointed by resolution passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2000. Headed by Justice G T Nanavati, a retired judge of the Supreme Court, it submitted its report in 2005, and recommended CBI probe into the roles of senior Congress leaders, including Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler. It also said that the then police chief S C Tandon was “directly responsible” for failing to contain the riots.