Nine opposition leaders, including Sharad Pawar, Mamata Banerjee, and Uddhav Thackeray, have written a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing their concern over the “blatant misuse of Central agencies against the members of the Opposition”. The letter comes in the wake of the recent arrest of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the excise policy case.
The opposition leaders have alleged that the Modi government is using Central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation to target opposition leaders and suppress dissent. The letter states that “such blatant misuse of central agencies for political vendetta is not only undemocratic but also against the basic tenets of our Constitution.”
The opposition leaders have also expressed their concern over the recent raid on the residence of Shiv Sena leader Anil Desai in Mumbai. The letter reads, “We are deeply disturbed by the pattern of selective targeting of opposition leaders and their families, which seems to be a part of a larger design to intimidate the opposition and suppress dissent.”
The letter also raises concerns over the recent amendments made to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), which the opposition alleges is an attempt by the government to restrict the flow of funds to civil society organizations and NGOs working for the welfare of people.
The opposition leaders have urged the Prime Minister to ensure that the Central agencies are not used for political vendetta and that the government upholds the principles of democracy and the Constitution.
The arrest of Manish Sisodia, a senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has sparked controversy, with the opposition alleging that it is a politically motivated move. The Delhi government, led by the AAP, has accused the Centre of using the Central agencies to target opposition leaders in an attempt to undermine the democratically elected government.
