New Delhi: Opposition leaders from nine parties have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in protest against the manner in which Manish Sisodia was arrested. They have also highlighted the fact that the 'blatant misuse' of central agencies against opposition leaders suggests that the country has transitioned from democracy to autocracy.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has posted the draft of the letter on its official Twitter handle saying, "9 Opposition Leaders including CM @ArvindKejriwal write to PM Modi. @msisodia's arrest will be cited worldwide as an example of a political witch-hunt and further confirm what the world was only suspecting- India's democratic values stand threatened under an authoritarian BJP.” The former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Delhi liquor policy case.
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9 Opposition Leaders including CM @ArvindKejriwal write to PM Modi‼️
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) March 5, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
“@msisodia's arrest will be cited worldwide as an example of a political witch-hunt & further confirm what the world was only suspecting- India's democratic values stand threatened under an authoritarian BJP” pic.twitter.com/3ELL5N88UJ
">9 Opposition Leaders including CM @ArvindKejriwal write to PM Modi‼️
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) March 5, 2023
“@msisodia's arrest will be cited worldwide as an example of a political witch-hunt & further confirm what the world was only suspecting- India's democratic values stand threatened under an authoritarian BJP” pic.twitter.com/3ELL5N88UJ9 Opposition Leaders including CM @ArvindKejriwal write to PM Modi‼️
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) March 5, 2023
“@msisodia's arrest will be cited worldwide as an example of a political witch-hunt & further confirm what the world was only suspecting- India's democratic values stand threatened under an authoritarian BJP” pic.twitter.com/3ELL5N88UJ
The letter suggested that Sisodia was arrested after a 'long witchhunt' and the allegations against him are 'outrightly baseless' and is nothing but a 'political conspiracy'. The letter also highlighted that cases against opposition leaders who have switched over to the BJP are automatically diluted by the probe agencies. The letter cited the example of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who was probed in 2014 and 2015 over the Saradha chit fund scam, Suvendu Adhikari and Mukul Roy from West Bengal who were probed in the Narada sting operation case, and Narayan Rane of Maharashtra.
Probes against Opposition leaders have started since 2014 when the BJP government came back to power. Be it Lalu Prasad Yadav, Sanjay Raut, Azam Khan, Nawab Malik, Anil Deshmukh, Abhishek Banerjee, cases against the opposition leaders have been on the rise. This has sparked the 'suspicion' that these central agencies are working as 'extended wings' of the ruling dispensation.
The letter has also stoked up the Adani issue pointing out the lack of action of the probe agencies when there is an actual need. "Following the publication of an international forensic financial research report, the SBI and the LIC have reportedly lost over Rs 78,000 crores in market capitalisation of their shares due to exposure to a certain firm. Why have the central agencies not been pressed into service to investigate the firm's financial irregularities despite the public money at stake?" the letter asked.
The Opposition has also highlighted the frequent rifts between the Governors and state governments in various states where the Opposition parties are in power. Citing examples of the Governors of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Punjab, Telangana or the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, the letter stated that "the Governors have become the face of the widening rift between the Centre and States run by the non-BJP governments."
The misuse of central agencies and constitutional posts to "settle scores outside the electoral battlefield" is condemnable, Opposition leaders said pointing out that it is not befitting the democratic spirit of the country where the "will of the people is supreme".
