‘India has turned from democracy to autocracy’: Joint opposition’s letter to PM against Sisodia’s arrest
Manish Sisodia’s arrest: Seeking to echo the opposition’s voice in one voice, nine leaders of eight political parties on Sunday (March 5) wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the arrest of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the Excise Policy case, alleging that central agencies The abuse suggests that the country has “converted from a democracy to an autocracy”.
The leaders alleged that the timing of registering cases or arresting opposition leaders “coincided with the elections” making it clear that the action taken was “politically motivated”.
Opposition leaders who signed the letter include BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, JKNC chief Farooq Abdullah, AITC chief Mamata Banerjee, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, RJD leaders. Tejashwi Yadav, and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. However, there was no representation from Congress, JDS, JD(U) and CPI(M) in the letter.
The leaders wrote, “We hope you will agree that India is still a democratic country. The blatant misuse of central agencies against members of the opposition shows that we have transitioned from a democracy to an autocracy.” Calling the CBI’s crackdown on Sisodia, who was arrested on February 26, a “prolonged witch-hunt”, the letter alleged that the allegations regarding the excise policy “smell of a political conspiracy”. He claimed that Sisodia’s arrest has “enraged” people across the country and alleged that his arrest would “confirm what the world was only suspecting” that India’s democratic values under BJP rule were was in “danger”.
“The allegations against Sisodia are clearly baseless and tantamount to a political conspiracy. His arrest has angered people across the country. Manish Sisodia is recognized globally for transforming Delhi’s school education . Her arrest would be cited as an example of a worldwide political witch-hunt. And further confirm what the world had only been suspecting- that India’s democratic values are under threat under an authoritarian BJP regime, The leaders wrote.
The letter further alleged that the government has been lax in the investigation against opposition leaders, who are being probed in various cases after joining the BJP.
Example from ‘Sharda chit fund scam and other cases’:
Citing the example of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, formerly a Congress leader who joined the BJP in 2015, the letter said he was being probed by central agencies over the Saradha chit fund scam, However, the matter did not proceed further. After he joined BJP. “Of the total number of prominent politicians booked, arrested, raided or questioned by investigative agencies under your administration since 2014, the maximum are from the opposition. Interestingly, the investigative agencies The cases against opposition politicians who have joined in are slow going,” the letter said.
“Former TMC leaders Shubhendu Adhikari and Mukul Roy were on the target of the ED and CBI in the Narada sting operation case, but the cases did not progress further after they joined the BJP ahead of the state assembly elections. There are many such instances, including that Belongs to Narayan Rane of Maharashtra.
“Since 2014, there has been an increase in the number of raids conducted, cases registered and arrests of opposition leaders. Be it Lalu Prasad Yadav (Rashtriya Janata Dal), Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena), Azam Khan (Samajwadi Party), Nawab Malik, Anil Deshmukh (NCP), Abhishek Banerjee (TMC), central agencies have often raised doubts that they were acting as extended wings of the ruling dispensation. In many such cases, the timing of the cases or arrests coincided with elections, making it clear that they were politically motivated,” the opposition leaders wrote.
“The manner in which prominent members of the opposition have been targeted gives credence to the allegation that your government is using investigative agencies to target or eliminate the opposition,” he alleged.
Seeking a rethink on the role of governors, opposition leaders alleged that their offices in the country were “often obstructing the governance of the state”. “The offices of governors across the country are violating constitutional provisions and often obstructing the governance of the state. They are deliberately undermining the democratically elected state governments and instead governing according to their whims and fancies. Choosing to obstruct.” Said.
Naming governors of various states and union territories, the leaders alleged that they have become the face of the “growing rift between the Center and states run by non-BJP governments”. Be it the governor of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, West. The lieutenant governor of Bengal, Punjab, Telangana or Delhi—ruled by non-BJP governments—has become the face of a growing rift between the Center and the states and a threat to the spirit of cooperative federalism that the states are nurturing despite Are. As a result of the lack of expression by the Centre, the people of our country have now started questioning the role of governors in Indian democracy.
(with inputs from agencies)
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