SIT would be set up to probe the 1984 riots: Manish Sisodia

Says, the 1984 riots is a black mark on Delhi's history

British Foreign Secretary William Hague's statement that a military adviser from his country was consulted about the 1984 operation to flush out Sikh militants from Amritsar's Golden Temple, has given the Government of Delhi the required evidence to order a special investigation team to probe the anti-Sikh riots more thoroughly, said Urban Development and Education Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday.

"The 1984 riots is a black mark on Delhi's history. We have had a meeting with all the ministers, and the cabinet has decided that a SIT will be set up to probe the matter," said Sisodia.

"The actual numbers of deaths were way higher than the official records and so were the numbers of F.I.Rs, many of which cases were closed down," he said.

"This issues has been raised a number of times but nothing significant has been done till date. Justice has been denied to the families of the victims," he added.

He further said that the tampering of the records by the police was a result of dirty politics.

"It has also been said that the police tampered with the records and the reason for it was dirty politics," said Sisodia.

"Therefore, this time the policemen working on this case would not be from Delhi," he said.

"The F.I.Rs that were closed, will be reopened, and fresh F.I.Rs would be filed if necessary. Within a year the whole matter will come into light," Sisodia said.

After Hague made his statement, the British Government faced a voting backlash by 430,000 Sikhs residing in Britain.

Investigations into the claims made in the documents, accidentally released under the 30-year-rule by the National Archives, revealed that a UK military adviser had recommended the use of helicopters in a surprise attack to cut down on deaths, during the 1984 operation Blue Star.

A good number of the Sikh population in Britain, said to play key roles in marginal seats at the next election, are feeling a sense of betrayal after the investigations confirmed the news, the Independent reported.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister David Cameron, addressing the Sikh community in a video message, said that he hoped that the manner in which the investigations were carried out into the dreadful events will provide some reassurance to the Sikh community in Britain and elsewhere.