Stop misusing agencies to silence Oppn: INDIA bloc MPs protest against govt

Several INDIA bloc MPs staged a protest in Parliament premises on Monday against the alleged misuse of probe agencies by the government to "target" Opposition leaders.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and several leaders of the INDIA bloc, including those from the TMC and AAP, participated in the protest on the steps leading to the Makar Dwar in Parliament.

The Opposition leaders carried placards which read "stop misusing agencies to silence opposition" and "BJP mein jao bhrashtachar ka licence pao (Join the BJP and get a licence for corruption)".

AAP MP Raghav Chadha held a poster that showed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal standing behind bars.

Opposition MPs raised slogans demanding release of three arrested ministers in West Bengal, and stopping "misuse" of the ED against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, and against former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren.

"The whole INDIA bloc is united against the misuse of central agencies against opposition leaders," Congress leader Rajeev Shukla said.

The Opposition protest comes days after a court here sent Kejriwal to judicial custody till July 12 in a corruption case related to the alleged excise scam. He was formally arrested by the CBI last week. Previously, he was arrested by the ED in a money-laundering case linked to the policy. He was recently granted bail by a trial court that was stayed by Delhi High Court.

Hemant Soren was released on Friday after the state high court granted him bail in a money laundering case, observing that he was not guilty, and there was no likelihood of the petitioner committing an offence on bail.