Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Tuesday that his government would provide legal aid to victims of 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
“Delhi government formed an SIT on 1984 riots. We will provide lawyers to victims in 1984 Sikh riot cases,” Kejriwal said as per ANI.
He added, “We will co-operate fully with the Centre on this, will keep providing help to the victims of 1984 riots.”
Earlier today the AAP had accused the Centre of not being serious in pursuing the 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases, saying that if the Narendra Modi government does not take steps to initiate action against former Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in the wake of fresh evidence that has emerged, the party will itself to take the issue to its logical end.
While making the accusations, AAP MLA from Rajouri Garden Jarnail Singh had also furnished a document claiming to be a statement of Abhishek Verma, one of the accused in a Navy war room leak case, before the CBI.
"The statement says that Tytler tried to send money to prime witness, who was in Canada, in the (Pulbangash) case. He should be booked under section 193 and 195A of the IPC for influencing and bribing witness. This is also a case of money laundering. Still the CBI says there is no FIR in the case. This also shows that the Narendra Modi government is not serious in pursuing the case," Singh said as per PTI.
In February this year, Union Home Ministry had announced a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) for re-investigation of the 1984 riot cases.
It was said that the SIT would look into criminal cases relating to the riots and examine evidence.
It was also said that the SIT could even re-open cases and file chargesheets in the courts concerned, the official said.
The CBI on June 26 told a Delhi court that no fresh FIR has been lodged against Tytler, who has been a given clean chit in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. Allegations of influencing witness and hawala transaction had surfaced from Verma's statement.
"Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, a Minister in the Modi cabinet and a Shiromani Akali Dal leader, should also quit as the party claims to be the championing the Sikh cause," Singh had added.
AAP is pulling up its socks in Punjab and eyeing at the Assembly Polls in the state, which are scheduled in 2017. The party has four MPs in Lok Sabha, all from Punjab.
(With Agency inputs)
