13 September,2024 05:43 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Sharad Pawar. File Pic
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP SP) president Sharad Pawar on Friday said that the bail granted to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal proves that the foundation of democracy in the country is still strong, reported the PTI.
The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to Kejriwal in the corruption case lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the alleged excise policy scam, saying prolonged incarceration amounts to unjust deprivation of liberty.
"The bail granted to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal makes one thing clear that the foundation of democracy in the country is still strong. The long fight has ended with the victory of truth," Sharad Pawar said in a post on X.
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"Arvind Kejriwal's bail reaffirmed the feeling that the conspiracy to vanquish someone through illegitimate means will never succeed in a democratic country," the former Union minister said.
Meanwhile, on a day the Supreme Court granted bail to Arvind Kejriwal, the Congress on Friday alleged that probe agencies have been misused in the last 10 years for targeting political opponents, reported the PTI.
The Congress said that despite the misuse of the probe agencies, the people have given the BJP a befitting reply by bringing it down to 240 seats in the Lok Sabha.
The opposition party's remarks came after the Supreme Court granted bail to Kejriwal in the corruption case lodged by the CBI in connection with the excise policy 'scam', saying prolonged incarceration amounts to unjust deprivation of liberty, as per the PTI.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan granted the relief to Kejriwal on furnishing a bail bond of Rs 10 lakh and two sureties of like amount.
Asked about the Supreme Court granting bail to Kejriwal and comparing CBI to "caged parrot", Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, "I don't want to comment on this per se but I would only say that in the last 10 years, agencies have been misused against political opponents."
"So what is the doubt that you misuse ED, CBI and IT department and have been doing so for the last 10 years. There are so many people languishing in jails without a trial because Narendra Modi and Amit Shah do not like their faces," Shrinate said at a press conference at the AICC headquarters, according to the PTI.
"It is a good intervention but the court should take cognisance suo motu that for years people are languishing because Narendra Modi and Amit Shah do not like their faces. Which law says that you cannot get bail?" she said, as per the PTI.
She accused the government of threatening people and indulging in the politics of vendetta.
"They have misused agencies but people have given them a befitting reply. They were talking about 400 and were reduced to 240 and are standing on crutches," Shrinate said.
Kejriwal, who was arrested by the ED in the excise policy case on March 21, was granted interim bail on May 10 for campaigning in the Lok Sabha polls and has been in jail since June 2 when he surrendered.
The top court directed Kejriwal not to make any public comment on the merits of the case and added that terms and conditions as imposed in the ED case would also be applicable here, the news agency reported.
(with PTI inputs)
