Ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, BJP on Thursday latched on to the Dhingra Commission report on the anti-Sikh riots to target the Congress, accusing it of protecting the perpetrators of violence.

The scathing report of the special investigation team headed by Justice S N Dhingra stated that the manner in which 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases were handled suggested that there was no intention of the police, administration or even the judiciary to punish the culprits.

“Congress never took any interest in the probe. In fact, it did the exact opposite and protected accused,” senior BJP leader and I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters here, highlighting the “importance” of the report.

The Centre told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that it had accepted the Dhingra Commission report and act on the recommendations made in it.

The timing of the acceptance of the report came a day after the Election Commission issued the notification for the Delhi assembly elections was issued on Tuesday.

Though the demographics of the national capital has changed over the past three decades, Sikhs are sizeable in number and still wield considerable influence.

Javadekar claimed that the Modi government was committed to deliver justice to the victims of the 1984 riots in which 3000 Sikhs were burnt alive and their houses looted.

The BJP leaders said Congress leaders like the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and more recently, Sam Pitroda “justified” the violence with their remarks.

Javadekar alleged that a Congress leader named as accused by victims has was even appointed chief minister of a big state.

The SIT report showed that the hands of the Congress were with “murderers”, the BJP leader said adding that it highlighted that just one FIR was registered to probe over 500 cases of arson and violence in places like Sultanpur, leading to delay in probe and acquittal of accused.

The Supreme Court has set up the Dhingra Commission in January 2018 to supervise further probe into the 186 riots cases in which the police had filed closure reports.