"SC's observation mirror to people neck-deep in corruption": BJP slams 14 oppn parties

New Delhi [India], April 5 : As the Supreme Court refused to entertain the petition filed by 14 opposition parties alleging "arbitrary use" of central probe agencies, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday said that the observation of the apex court is a mirror to all those who are neck-deep in corruption.

"A total of 14 political parties moved the Supreme Court, which includes Congress, the 'mother of corruption', who looted the country for decades, Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD, a party known for land for jobs scam, Mamata Banerjee's TMC, a party whose leaders are caught red-handed with bundles of note, AAP, a party which is giving certificates of 'staunch honesty' and whose former Deputy CM is 'staunch dishonest', BRS of K Kavitha, who herself is being questioned by probe agencies, etc," BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia said.

The BJP leaders' remarks came after Supreme Court, earlier in the day, refused to entertain the plea filed by Congress-led 14 opposition parties, alleging "arbitrary use" of central probe agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against opposition leaders and seeking a fresh set of guidelines governing the arrest, remand, and bail.

He said that as per BJP's zero-tolerance policy for corruption, the probe agencies are impartially cracking down against everyone who is neck-deep in corruption.

Bhatia also said that the top court's today's observation is important for every citizen.

Today, the CJI DY Chandrachud headed bench refused to entertain the petition of these opposition parties and the observation of the apex court is important for every citizen.

"The Supreme Court observed that there is no separate law for politicians," he said. "Law is equal for all and everyone is equal in the eyes of the law," Bhatia quoted SC as saying.

Besides Bhatia, BJP chief JP Nadda hit out at the 14 opposition parties and said that Supreme Court's observation is a mirror to people neck-deep in corruption.

"The opposition has a habit of repeatedly accusing the independent agencies of the country. The whole country is watching the deeds of the opposition. All such people who are neck-deep in corruption, today they are doing politics of false allegations by coming on one platform. Today the comment of the Supreme Court is going to show the mirror to all of them," Nadda tweeted in Hindi.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appearing for opposition parties told Supreme Court that from 2013-14 to 2021-22, there is a 600 per cent increase in CBI and ED cases. "A total of 121 political leaders have been probed by ED, of which 95 per cent are from the opposition parties," Singhvi said.

"For the CBI, out of 124 investigations, over 95 per cent are from opposition parties. This has a chilling effect on the legitimacy of political opposition," Singhvi told the Supreme Court.

However, the court was not convinced by the submission and remarked, "Can we say because of these statistics, there should be no investigation or no prosecution?"

"Ultimately a political leader is basically a citizen and as citizens, we are all amenable to the same law," the court observed.

Various parties which have approached the top court include Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Rashtriya Janta Dal, Bharat Rashtra Samiti, All India Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, J&K National Conference, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiv Sena Uddhav camp, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Janata Dal (United), Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Samajwadi Party (SP).