SIT to reopen seven 1984 riots cases; NDA leaders target Kamal Nath

Calling it political vendetta, Nath’s media coordinator Narender Saluja said, “He has neither been named in any FIR nor is there a court case pending against him. The matter is being raised after 35 years only because he is the CM of Madhya Pradesh…. The matter is being raised again only because he (Nath-led Congress) defeated the BJP in MP.”

Demanding Nath’s resignation, Delhi MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa alleged that while the Congress leader was never named in the FIR registered in the case, he had “given shelter to five people accused in one of the seven cases”. Sirsa also said two witnesses in the case — Sanjay Suri and Mukhtiyar Singh — are ready to record their statement.

Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal also demanded Nath’s resignation.

Harsimrat tweeted, “Reopening of the case against Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath in the 1984 Sikh Genocide is a victory for the Sikhs. This is the result of our sustained efforts to reopen cases wrongfully deemed as solved. Now, Kamal Nath will pay for his crimes. Now that the case against Kamal Nath has been reopened, he should be removed from the post of Madhya Pradesh CM. Case witnesses should be given protection as they get ready to depose…”

Nath’s aide Saluja asserted that the Sikh community has been associated with the Congress leader in “large numbers”, including in MP. He said, “No matter how many times he is investigated, he will emerge untainted. He has been a Union minister and held several important positions…. Where were these witnesses for 35 years? Was there any evidence against him? If there was, was the government sleeping so far?”

The ministry notification states that the SIT has taken up the discharged cases for scrutiny. The seven cases include those registered in 1984 at police stations in Delhi’s Vasant Vihar, Sun Light Colony, Kalyanpuri, Parliament Street, Connaught Place, Patel Nagar, and Shahdara.

The SIT has issued public notices asking individuals and organisations to provide information related to these cases.

The SIT has so far reopened around 80 cases registered in connection with anti-Sikh riots that followed the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Last year, Congress leader Sajjan Kumar was sentenced to life for his role. —(with inputs from ENS, BHOPAL)