Another panel to probe anti-Sikh riots likely — Advani

Responding to the supplementary by BJP member K R Malkani, Advani said he did not think that appointing another commission of inquiry would serve any useful purpose. Malkani however said that if there could be two-three inquiries into the mysterious death of Subhash Chandra Bose, why the government did not agree to this demand to bring out the truth and punish the culprits.

Members belonging to Communist Party of India, CPI-M, Samajwadi Party, Akalis and Telugu Desam Party supported the demand.

A hestitant Advani said that the government was willing to accept the demand if there was total unanimity of the House over the issue as it had been in the case of Bose. He made it clear that the government did not want anybody should accuse it to be doing so for political reasons. He said the members must express their views on the issue.

H Hanumanthappa (Congress) said there had to be a motion duly moved by the Home Minister to have unanimity of the House on the issue. It was however contested by Gurudas Das Gupta (CPI) and others who asserted that the government need not move a motion on it.

Finally, Advani said though there was no unanimity but a broad consensus on the issue, the government would consider setting up of another commission of inquiry into the 1984 riots. Only after the assurance, the Akalis who had rushed up to the front seats retreated to their seats.