Senior advocate HS Phoolka on Thursday claimed that instructions to "kill" during the anti-Sikh riots that took place in Delhi in 1984 had come directly from the Prime Minister's Office.
"There is enough evidence on record to show that in 1984 when the Sikhs were being killed, the instructions were coming directly from the Prime Minister's Office and the Army was not called in... We have placed our evidence on record before the Nanavati Commission as well as Mishra Commission," Phoolka told ANI.
"Shanti Bhushan was Law Minister during Morarji Desai government. Shanti Bhushanji has given his own affidavit before the Nanavati Commission. He says on November 1 morning he went to Narasimha Rao, who was Union Home Minister at that time and he asked Narasimha Rao to immediately call the Army as innocent citizens are being killed... Narasimha Rao agreed with him," Phoolka explained.
"Narasimha Rao called on the RAX phone, which is a direct phone between the ministers. And he says Narasimha Rao tried to convince the other person on the line to call the Army," he added.
Phoolka went on to add, "After some time, Narasimha Rao put down the phone and sat quietly. Shanti Bhushanji says he was there for about two-three minutes, Narasimha Rao didn't say a word. So, Shanti Bhushanji said he got up and went away."
Phoolka said the then Prime Minister Charan Singh along with Devi Lal, Sharad Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan asked the President to immediately call the Army.
"So, the President wanted to call the Army, Home Minister wanted to call the Army, who is the one who can veto them? It's the Prime Minister's Office. We have placed evidence on record that the Intelligence Bureau officers were even monitoring it," Phoolka said.
Image: Victims of the anti-Sikh riots of 1984