In a dramatic show of unity and dissent, members of various opposition parties staged a protest on the Parliament premises on Monday, July 1, against the central government's alleged misuse of central agencies, including the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The protest saw participation from prominent opposition figures, including Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor, KC Venugopal, Manish Tewari, K Suresh, Varsha Gaikwad, Benny Behnan, and Anto Antony. Joining them were Kerala Congress (M)'s Jose K Mani, Aam Aadmi Party's Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha, TMC MP Sagarika Ghosh, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, and CPI(M)'s John Brittas, among others.
Carrying placards and posters with slogans such as "Respect Opposition, Stop Intimidation!", "Stop misusing agencies to silence opposition," "End the reign of fear, stop ED, IT, CBI misuse," and "Join BJP and get a license for corruption," the leaders expressed their strong disapproval of what they perceive as a systematic effort to undermine and intimidate opposition voices.
The opposition parties have been vocal about their concerns regarding the arrests and investigations targeting their members. Notably, the arrests of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi ministers, former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, and TMC ministers by the ED and CBI have drawn significant criticism.
Hemant Soren, arrested in connection with an alleged land scam, was released on bail on June 29 after 149 days in custody. Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal remains in judicial custody, having been denied bail by the Delhi High Court earlier this month, amid an investigation into an alleged liquor policy scam.
The opposition's protest underscores the growing tensions between the central government and opposition parties, with allegations of central agencies being used as tools of political vendetta. This demonstration marks another chapter in the ongoing battle over the integrity and independence of India's central investigative bodies.
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