The Nanavati Commission, appointed by the NDA government on May 8, 2000, investigated the anti-Sikh riots following the assassination of PM Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, and submitted a detailed two-volume report in February 2005.
Some relevant extracts from the Nanavati Commission Report:
Attacks on Sikhs Organised by the Congressmen
Considering the manner in which the violent attacks were made, it was felt that probably the attacks on Sikhs were organised by the Congressmen or their supporters or by some other organisations or associations. (Nanavati Commission Report, p. 1)
Role of Kamal Nath and Vasant Sathe
When the mob again attempted to get inside the Gurudwara (Rakab Ganj Sahib), one person who was inside the Gurudwara and had a licensed gun fired some shots in air so as to frighten the mob. Thereafter the mob became bigger and at that time Congress leaders Shri Kamal Nath and Shri Vasant Sathe were seen in the mob. (Nanavati Commission Report, p. 21)
Reply filed by Shri Kamal Nath is vague. (Shri Kamal Nath, in his affidavit, has stated that in the afternoon of 1-11-84, on receiving information that some violence was taking place in and around Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib, he as a senior and responsible leader of the Congress Party decided to go there) He has not clearly stated at what time he went there and how long he remained there. The situation at the Gurudwara had become very grave at about 11.30 a.m. and continued to remain grave till about 3.30 p.m. The evidence discloses that Shri Kamal Nath was seen in the mob at about 2 p.m. The Police Commissioner had reached that place at about 3.30 p.m. So he was there for quite a long time. (Nanavati Commission Report, p. 141)
Affidavits
Shri Inder Mohan in his affidavit filed before Justice Mishra Commission has stated that on 1-11-84 at about 12.00 noon he saw a mob near the crossing of Bangla Sahib and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Marg. It was stopping buses, cars and other vehicles and pulling out Sikhs. The mob beat some Sikhs also. He, therefore, contacted the police and within few minutes the police arrived and dispersed the mob. He has further stated that on 2-11-84 at about 3 p.m. a mob collected near Bangla Sweet House. It was led by youths belonging to Congress (I) whom he knew by faces but whose names he did not know. The mob started looting a restaurant opposite Bangla Sweet House as it belonged to a Sikh. The mob thereafter broke open a shop belonging to another Sikh and tried to set it on fire. (Nanavati Commission Report, p. 24)
Shri Daljinder Singh S/o Avtar Singh (Witness No.9) appeared before this Commission (Nanavati) and gave evidence with respect to this incident. He has stated that on 31-10-84 at about 10.30 p.m. he had seen Shri Dharam Dass Shastri who was a Congress MP going to the houses of Shri Tek Chand and Shri Rajinder Pal Sharma and heard him asking those persons how many Sikhs they were going to kill. (Nanavati Commission Report, p. 24)
The affidavits of persons residing in Blocks A and B (Sultanpuri) disclose that in the morning of 1-11-84 between 8 and 9 am, a mob of about 500 – 600 persons gathered near B-2 Park and it was addressed by local Congress (I) M.P. Shri Sajjan Kumar who instigated them by telling that “Sardarro ne hamari Indira Gandhi mari hai, ab sardoro ko maro, looto aur aag laga do”. (Nanavati Commission Report, p. 110)
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