Opposition writes to PM about ‘misuse’ of probe agencies

A day after former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia’s CBI custody was prolonged by two extra days, 9 opposition leaders together with CM Arvind Kejriwal, Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav and Telangana CM Ok Chandrasekhar Rao, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging misuse of central businesses.

Within the letter dated March 5, the leaders described Sisodia’s arrest as the results of a “lengthy political witch hunt”, claiming the chief was arrested regardless of lack of proof towards him the Delhi excise coverage case.

Leaders have said that Sisodia’s arrest proves that India’s democratic values stand threatened underneath BJP’s regime. “The allegations towards Sisodia are outrightly baseless and smack of a political conspiracy. His arrest has enraged folks throughout the nation. Manish Sisodia is recognised globally for remodeling Delhi’s faculty training and his arrest will likely be cited for instance of a political witch-hunt.”

The letter claimed that since 2014, most raids, investigations, and interrogations have been towards opposition leaders. “Curiously, probe businesses go sluggish on instances towards opposition leaders who be part of BJP,” the letter learn.

On this regard, opposition leaders cited some examples, just like the CBI and Enforcement Directorate probe in 2014 towards Himanta Biswa Sarma within the Saradha chit fund rip-off. Leaders claimed that the probe was referred to as off after Sarma joined BJP.

Equally, the letter said examples of former Trinamool Congress leaders Mukul Roy and Suvendu Adhikari who have been being probed by ED within the Narada sting operation case. Nevertheless, the probe didn’t progress after they joined BJP, the letter mentioned.

9 opposition leaders — Mamata Banerjee, Ok Chandrasekhar Rao, Arvind Kejriwal, Uddhav Thackeray, Bhagwant Mann, Tejashwi Yadav, Farooq Abdullah, Sharad Pawar and Akhilesh Yadav — despatched the letter to PM Modi.

The letter additionally highlighted incidents of disagreement between Governors and the state authorities in some locations. “Governors are wilfully undermining democratically elected state governments and selecting as a substitute to hinder governance as per their whims and fancies,” the letter mentioned, including that such incidents are widening the hole between the Centre and the states.

The CBI has confronted ex-deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia together with his former secretary C Arvind after which Excise commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna in reference to alleged manipulation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Coverage, officers mentioned Saturday.

CBI alleged that the Delhi authorities’s excise coverage for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor merchants favoured sure sellers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a cost strongly refuted by the AAP. The coverage was later scrapped.