In wake of alleged “arbitrary detention of opposition leaders”, 14 political parties including the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD), Trinamool Congress (TMC), and DMK among others have filed a petition with the Supreme Court on Friday.
The appeal will be heard by the Apex Court on April 5. The plea comes a day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was given a 2-year jail sentence in a defamation case from 2019, which has since escalated into the latest cause of contention between the central government and the opposition parties.
The Surat court’s decision about Rahul Gandhi was condemned by various non-congress chief ministers, but the Congress on Friday set a meeting of the opposition parties.
The three prominent leaders on the radar of the central agencies are Manish Sisodia of the AAP, K Kavitha of the BRS, and Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD.
Congress’s Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the 14 parties represent 42% spectrum. “They are saying that democracy is in peril. We are not trying to affect the existing investigation. 95% of cases are on opposition leaders. We are asking for pre-and post-arrest guidelines”, he said.
In connection with the suspected Delhi liquor scandal, the CBI and ED have detained and questioned Manish Sisodia. Tejashwi and his family are also being looked into in relation to the land-for-job scam.
