Centre's SIT on anti-Sikh riots an eyewash: Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi, June 20: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday termed the central government's Special Investigation Team (SIT) on 1984 anti-Sikh riots an "eyewash".

In a letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and advertised in the newspapers on Monday, Kejriwal said that during the previous 49-day rule of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, the Delhi cabinet took the decision to form the SIT to bring culprits to justice.

"Unfortunately, our government didn't last long to implement that decision. We were keen to form SIT and included this in our election manifesto," the letter said.

He alleged that the central government formed an SIT two days before he took oath as the chief minister for the second time in February 2015 to prevent the Delhi government from doing it.

"Just two days before I took oath as a CM, the central government set up an SIT on February 12, 2015, which was supposed to file its report within six months.

But it is one and a half years, yet the SIT has made no progress. Now, apprehension is growing in the minds of people that the SIT was just an eyewash to prevent us from forming an effective SIT," he mentioned in the letter.

"I would urge you (Modi) to get your SIT to do something or wind it up and allow the Delhi government to set up an SIT which will do proper investigation and bring justice for the victims," he added.

The SIT appointed by the central government last week decided to re-investigate around 75 cases of anti-Sikh riots in Delhi.

IANS