Govt leaked SIT report on Gujarat riots: BJP

Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded a probe into the selective leaks of SIT report on post-Godhra riots to the media.

"The Supreme Court maintains integrity of keeping the information submitted in a sealed cover as a closely guarded secret. The SIT was directed by the apex court to file its report in a sealed cover. No matter how hard someone tries to get the information nobody can get it from the court. Then who leaked out the information that has found its way to the media," BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad quipped.

The party said it 'apprehended and suspected' that the government 'engineered' selective leaks of the Special Investigation Team's report on post-Godhra riots to the media to divert attention from issues like price rise and corruption.

He mentioned the recent case where a list of Indians holding bank accounts in tax havens abroad was given to the Supreme Court but the names were not leaked or revealed to the media. "We apprehend and suspect that elements in the government of India may also have a role to play in it (leaks)," Prasad said.

He added that the government was facing opposition onslaught on issues like price rise and corruption and may have 'engineered' the leaks to divert attention from them. "The SIT report was filed in the Supreme Court. 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," Prasad sought to know.

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 had 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 the 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," Prasad said.

Pointing a finger at the Congress, he asked with 'what face' the Congress could comment on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's record.

"(Congress is) A party having the worst record in 1984 riots in which it saved people like Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler. Rajiv Gandhi himself said that when a big tree falls, the earth shakes," Prasad said.