BJP questions timing of submission of SIT final report

New Delhi: BJP today questioned the “timing of the submission” of the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT’s) final report on 2002 Gujarat riots at a time when assembly elections were on in Uttar Pradesh and how Congress leaders could comment on a report which lay sealed in the court. “We as a political party are very concerned, certainly, about the timing of the submission, especially in the light of the Uttar Pradesh elections which are ongoing,” BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said. [caption id=“attachment_208845” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“BJP questioned the “timing of the submission” of SIT’s final report on 2002 Gujarat riots at a time when UP elections were on. Reuters”]  [/caption] “The submission at this time raises a lot of questions. And we are anxious if this is going to lead to any kind of unwarranted tension,” she added. Sitharaman also raised questions how Congress leaders were speaking about the report when its content was given in a sealed cover in a court. “Without seeing (the report), they are ready to comment on the functioning of Gujarat government. It just shows their desperation to get into power in Gujarat at any cost without winning the confidence of the people,” Sitharaman said. Sitharaman also said BJP had not seen the report and did not know how others could speak about the content of the sealed report. “We have not seen the report, it has been submitted in a sealed envelope, I don’t know who is getting copies of it. How are copies leaked, we don’t know,” the BJP spokesperson said. She also sought an explanation from the government regarding media reports which said that a meeting took place between DMK’s Dayanidhi Maran, against whom the Enforcement Directorate had registered a case, and the Finance Minister. “This information has come through the media and it raises a lot of questions. The Finance Ministry, I hope, will come out with an explanation as to what transpired in this meeting,” Sitharaman said. PTI