The BJP on Friday said that it “seriously apprehends and suspects” that “elements” in the government also have a role to play in the selective leak of SIT report on post-Godhra riots.
Demanding a probe into the matter, the party said the selective leak was done by the government to divert attention from issues like corruption and price rise.
BJP chief spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad said while names of Indian who had stashed black money in foreign accounts are yet to be revealed, the contents of the report, which was submitted before the Supreme Court in a sealed cover, got leaked. The party said with the government facing Opposition onslaught on issues like price rise and corruption, it might have “engineered” the leaks to divert attention from them.
“Whenever SIT submits a report to the Supreme Court in a sealed envelope, it has a certain sanctity. The Supreme Court always maintains the integrity of such reports. This is the proud tradition of the Supreme Court,” Mr Prasad said. He said the SIT report was filed in the top court and only the SIT and the two amicus curiae saw it.
“The Supreme Court is yet to consider the report and form an opinion on it. How was it leaked to the media?” Mr Prasad asked. He said the BJP trusts the “impeccable integrity of the Supreme Court in maintaining secrecy”.
The principal Opposition also insisted that while the Gujarat government has the best record in convictions in a riot, the Congress has the worst record as shown in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
“Riots are unfortunate but the record of Gujarat in conviction of those involved in riots is the highest in India. 700 people were convicted, 70 of whom were given sentences from 10 years to life imprisonment,” Mr Prasad said.