New Delhi: As many as 17 Opposition parties have expressed their apprehensions on the long-term implications of the recent Supreme Court decision upholding the amendments to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), and giving more teeth to central agencies including the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
"17 Opposition parties, including TMC & AAP, plus one independent Rajya Sabha MP, have signed a joint statement expressing deep apprehensions on long-term implications of the recent Supreme Court judgment upholding amendments to PMLA,2002 and called for its review," Congress leader and MP Jairam Ramesh tweeted while sharing the copy of the joint statement signed by 18 people.
"We place on record our deep apprehension on the long-term implications of the recent Supreme Court judgment upholding, in entirety, the amendments to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, without examining whether some of these amendments could have been enacted by way of Finance Act. If tomorrow the Supreme Court holds that the challenged amendments through Finance Act is bad in law, then the entire exercise would become futile and loss of judicial time," the statement reads.
Also read: Supreme Court upholds ED's power to arrest in money laundering case
"We hold, and will always hold, our Supreme Court in the highest respect. Yet, we are compelled to point out that the judgment should have awaited the verdict of a larger Bench for examining the constitutionality of the Finance Act route to carry out amendments. These far-reaching amendments strengthened the hands of a government, indulging in the political vendetta of the worst kind, by using these very amended laws relating to money laundering and investigation agencies, to target its political opponents in a mischievous and malicious manner."
The opposition leaders said they were "very disappointed" that the highest judicial authority, invited to give an independent verdict on the lack of checks and balances in the Act, has "virtually reproduced arguments given by the executive in support of draconian amendments". "We hope that the dangerous verdict will be short-lived and constitutional provisions will prevail soon," the statement concluded.
On July 27, the Supreme Court upheld the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) powers relating to arrest, attachment of property involved in money laundering, search and seizure under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) that were challenged by multiple petitioners including politician Karti Chidambaram.
