‘Democracy stands threatened under authoritarian BJP’

PM Narendra Modi. File pic

In an attempt to echo the Opposition's voice in unison, nine leaders of eight political parties on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the arrest of former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in the excise policy case, and alleged that the "misuse" of the central agencies suggests that the country has "transitioned from being a democracy to an autocracy".

The signatories of the letter are Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal (AAP), West Bengal Mamata Bannerjee (TMC), Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann (AAP), Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao (BRS), party leaders Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Sharad Pawar (NCP), Farooq Abdullah (Jammu J&K National Conference), Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena, UBT) and Akhilesh Yadav of Samajwadi Party.

On misuse of agencies

"The blatant misuse of central agencies against the members of the Opposition appears to suggest that we have transitioned from being a democracy to an autocracy - the misuse of central agencies and constitutional offices like that of the Governor--to settle scores outside of the electoral battlefield is strongly condemnable as it does not bode well for our democracy," the letter said.

The leaders said the charges against Sisodia were "outrightly baseless and smack of a political conspiracy". His arrest has enraged people across the country. Sisodia is recognised globally for transforming Delhi's school education. His arrest will be cited worldwide as an example of a political witch-hunt and further confirm what the world was only suspecting-that India's democratic values stand threatened under an authoritarian BJP regime, they said.

Citing Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and former TMC leaders Suvendu Adhikari and Mukul Roy as examples, the leaders claimed that the investigation agencies go slow on cases against opposition politicians, who join the BJP.

Also Read: Secularists' sham on Sisodia's arrest

‘CBI torturing Sisodia'

AAP national spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj Sunday claimed the CBI was "torturing" senior party leader Manish Sisodia and pressuring him to sign papers containing false charges.

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