A delegation of I.N.D.I.A. bloc leaders after meeting the Election Commission of India over the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, at Nirvachan Sadan, in New Delhi, March, 22, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest brought otherwise warring I.N.D.I.A partners like Congress and Trinamool Congress on a single platform, as they knocked the Election Commission’s doors on Friday against the “unrelenting, blatant and illegal deployment” of central agencies by the ruling BJP to “target, suffocate and intimidate” Opposition.
Ten leaders from six parties – Congress, Trinamool Congress, AAP, DMK, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and CPI(M) – met the EC, complaining about the arrest of Kejriwal, the second one after Hemant Soren, who are “coincidentally in vocal opposition to the ruling regime”.
The leaders told the EC that the arrests were “meant to send a message straight to the voter” and the ruling regime will “not countenance any real opposition to its electoral ambitions”.
The memorandum also referred to the Income Tax Department notice to the Congress as well as eight other instances, including ED raids on NCP leader Rohit Pawar, CBI case against Mahua Moitra and actions against RJD leaders.
Incidentally, the bloc also mentioned about the ED raiding and arresting the leaders of BRS, though without mentioning K Kavita by name. BRS and Congress are at loggerheads and had refused to join the I.N.D.I.A bloc.
“These actions form a part of the union government’s clear strategy to obstruct the level playing field for political parties, such as the Congress, AAP etc...Free and fair elections are not possible in an atmosphere of threats, intimidation and extortion,” the memorandum said.
The leaders demanded that any further raids, investigations and arrests be first vetted and approved by the EC or a committee set up under it. They also wanted the EC to launch investigations against those who misused their offices to harass Opposition leaders.
The decision to approach the Election Commission was taken at informal discussions the I.N.D.I.A leaders had on Thursday night after Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the money laundering case linked to the irregularities in the Delhi excise policy.
Sources said Congress Rajya Sabha MP and senior lawyer Abhishek Singhvi, who appeared for Kejriwal and Delhi government in several cases, coordinated it and a memorandum was finalised taking into account the various actions taken against Opposition parties.
It also saw Congress and Trinamool coming together after both parted ways in West Bengal for Lok Sabha elections and the latter refusing to give seats to its I.N.D.I.A partner.
A senior Trinamool leader said, referring to Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, "we do not have a problem with INC (Indian National Congress, we have a problem with ARC (Adhir Ranjan Congress)."
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee instructed Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien and MP Mohd Nadimul Haque to fly down to Delhi from Kolkata to be part of the delegation meeting the EC, sources said. While RJD and Shiv Sena (UBT) and some other parties couldn't join, sources said all parties were on board.
Sources said at the meeting, the leaders told the EC that two Chief Ministers -- Hemant Soren in Jharkhand and Kejriwal in Delhi -- were arrested in the past two months and the EC must ensure level playing field for the Opposition and if they don't do it, it would hurts the basic structure of the Constitution.
“There are many parties from the INDIA alliance here. Some of us even oppose each other in our states. But we are here to save democracy,” a senior Opposition leader said.
The memorandum said, “there emerges a clear, deliberate and sinister pattern, where the ruling regime is abusing its power, and completely destroying any semblance of a level playing field for other political parties contesting the Lok Sabha elections. Never before has such high-handedness ever been witnessed.”