Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal distributing compensation cheques to the families of the victims of 1984 riots in New Delhi on Sunday, November 1, 2015. (Press Trust of India photo)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said his government will examine the legality of a special team formed by the central government to probe the
1984 anti-Sikh riots.
He said his government would also explore the possibility of forming a new Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the killings.
Over 2,700 people were killed in the anti-Sikh riots following the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984. Most killings took place in Delhi.
Quoting lawyer HS Phoolka, Mr Kejriwal said the central government does not have the power to form an SIT.
"I will get it examined whether the Delhi government can form an SIT and if the SIT formed by the central government is illegal," he said.
The issue was raised by Mr Phoolka at a Delhi government function in Tilak Nagar where the families of anti-Sikh riots were given an enhanced compensation of Rs 5 lakh.
"To prevent me from forming an SIT, they constituted an SIT a day before the formation of my government," Mr Kejriwal said.
The AAP took power on February 14 this year after winning 67 of the 70 assembly seats.
In its previous tenure in 2013-14, the AAP government had ordered an SIT probe but it did not come through as Mr Kejriwal resigned as chief minister.
Mr Kejriwal accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government of stalling his efforts to form an SIT.
"Why did they form it...? Because they feared that Kejriwal will form an SIT of honest officers and send the guilty to jail," he said.