Compensation for 1984 riots not finalised: MHA to tell EC

MHA was asked to explain move as Delhi is headed for bypolls on 3 seats

While BJP said there was nothing unusual in the incident, the CPM alleged that the act showed that even a “murderer’’ could go near the Home Minister.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will reportedly tell the Election Commission that the decision to disburse Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of those killed in the 1984 riots has not been finalised yet and deliberations were still on to discuss its modalities.

The MHA will take the plea that no formal announcement was made on the issue and it was in no way a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. The EC on Friday asked the Home Ministry to explain its decision to give a fresh compensation of Rs 5 lakh considering that the Model Code of Conduct is in force in Delhi due to the upcoming bypolls.

Officials said the decision to announce fresh compensation could hit a hurdle over the issue of “determining who the next of kin is as there could be more than one claimants.”

Senior officials said they were considering the demand of former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal who had demanded the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the 1984 Sikh riots. “While it is a tedious task to disburse any fresh compensation amount now as there could be more than one claimants as the next of kin of any riot victim. One way we are considering is to constitute an SIT and disburse the money through that,” said a senior MHA official.

The argument, however, could not cut ice with the EC as the amount to be given to the victims had been finalised and it was only the modalities that had to be given shape to.

The EC had given the Ministry time till November 3 to furnish a reply but the reply had not been sent to the election watchdog till Monday evening.

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