IANS/New Delhi

 

Police in Delhi succumbed to anti-Sikh sentiments in 1984, thus abetting rioting and arson, a sting operation by news portal Cobrapost revealed yesterday. The expose triggered a political row.

The Congress, which was in power then, demanded a probe into the sting operation.

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party said it proves that the riots were sponsored by the Congress. The BJP’s coalition ally, the Shiromani Akali Dal reiterated its manifesto resolve to set up fast track courts to nail the guilty and ensure justice for the victims.

The sting operation titled Chapter 84 claimed that the government did not allow the police to act while creating an impression that the police were not performing their duty.

"The government's intention appeared to be that the Sikhs should get some punishment," said Shoorveer Singh Tyagi, then police station house officer (SHO) at Kalyanpuri area of east Delhi, whom Cobrapost interviewed.

"Messages were broadcast directing police to not take action against rioters who were shouting slogans of 'Indira Gandhi zindabad'," Rohtas Singh, SHO at Delhi Cantonment, told Cobrapost.

Throwing light on the complicity of the state in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the report added that police logbooks were conveniently changed to eliminate evidence of inaction by senior police officials.

Police did not allow the victims of rioting to file first information reports (FIRs or police complaints) or when they filed cases, they clubbed many cases of murder and arson that took place in different places under one FIR, according to Cobrapost.

Police officers were also guilty of dumping bodies of victims elsewhere to minimise riot-related crimes near their police stations, Cobrapost claimed.

BJP spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the 1984 riots were a Congress-sponsored pogrom in which not only "human beings but also humanity died."

"The way Congress has tried to justify this saying when a big tree falls, the earth shakes. Today, children who saw their families being burnt are coming forward. There is no question of forgiving the Congress for this," he said.

Congress leader Rashid Alvi said the claims made by the sting operation should be investigated. "It should be inquired into and action should be taken against all those officers who are involved."

"Whoever is responsible whether it is politicians or police officers they should be punished," he added.

Congress spokesman Randeep Sutjewala alleged that the issue was getting politicised in the atmospherics of election. "SAD and BJP are trying to regain their lost ground. They seem to be rattled and trying to clutch even a straw to avoid defeat as both parties are going to lose badly in Punjab," he said.