New Delhi: Fourteen political parties, including the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Shiv Sena, approached the Supreme Court Friday alleging the “arbitrary” use of central probe agencies against opposition leaders.
The matter was mentioned before the court of Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, who will hear it next on 5 April.
The parties said agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have targeted only opponents of the ruling BJP. They sought guidelines for law-enforcing agencies and courts on arrest, remand and bail.
On behalf of these parties, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said: “95 per cent of cases are of Opposition leaders. We are asking for pre-arrest guidelines and post-arrest guidelines.”
The other parties in the group are DMK, RJD, Bharat Rashtra Samithi, AITC, NCP, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, JD(U), CPI(M), CPI, Samajwadi Party and the National Conference.
In February, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had decried these claims, retorting, “Why don’t they go to court?” “They only know how to create noise. Court toh humaare kabze mein nahin hain,” Shah told news agency ANI in an exclusive interview.
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