Judicial procedure "influenced": Shah on tardy conviction pace

Targeting the Congress, BJP chief Amit Shah Wednesday said judicial procedure was 'influenced', which led to no convictions for so long in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

The Delhi High Court Monday sentenced Congress leader Sajjan Kumar to imprisonment for life, the first conviction of a politician in the 1984 riots in which over 2,700 people were killed.

"The judicial procedure was influenced which led to no convictions in the anti-Sikh riots of 1984. It made people furious over the issue even after 34 years of the incident," Shah said at the Republic Summit here.

He said the NDA government set up another Special Investigation Team (SIT) after coming to power in 2014 and the convictions are taking place as per this body's findings.

"This (Sajjan Kumar) is the fourth judgement that has come out," Shah pointed out.

Despite there being the Misra Commission followed by Nanavati Commission, police did not carry out investigations properly in any case, Shah said.

Referring to allegations of a journalist that he had seen Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath leading a march against Sikhs (during riots), Shah said, "It has been seen by many people. The SIT is looking into all cases related to 1984 anti-Sikh riots."
Asked about the time required for the legal battle over the Ram temple issue to get over, Shah said, "If the Supreme Court conducts daily hearings of the Babri demolition case, it will not take more than 10 days to get a verdict."
Countering senior Congress leader and lawyer Kapil Sibal's demand for conducting the case hearing after the 2019 elections, he said, "I feel the case should be cleared at the earliest. Whatever decision SC wants to take, they should take it at the earliest."
On not following the Supreme Court's verdict in the Sabarimala temple case, he said Sabarimala is related to religious faith and that "in some cases, there is no need for a judicial review."