Opposition to raise naming of Yechury, others in Delhi riots chargesheet

CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP K K Ragesh gave a notice demanding suspension of all business to discuss the issue on Monday, the opening day of the session.

A day before the Monsoon Session of Parliament kicks off, the Opposition on Sunday said that it will raise the issue of Delhi Police naming CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, political activist Yogendra Yadav, JNU professor and economist Jayati Ghosh, Delhi University professor Apoorvanand and filmmaker Rahul Roy in a supplementary chargesheet related to the Delhi riots.

CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP K K Ragesh gave a notice demanding suspension of all business to discuss the issue on Monday, the opening day of the session.

CPI Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam too gave notice under Rule 267 calling for “suspension of regular business in the House” and a discussion on the “extremely urgent subject”.

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Congress chief whip in Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh told reporters, “Hundred per cent, we will raise this issue of charge-sheeting political leaders, social activists, intellectuals, NGOs in the Parliament. This is a deliberate attempt to muzzle dissent and debate. This is anti-democratic.”

In a series of tweets, former Home Minister P Chidambaram said: “Delhi Police have brought the criminal justice system to ridicule by naming Yechury and many other scholars and activists in a supplementary chargesheet in the Delhi riots case.”

“The law cannot be such an ass that, if an accused (Gulfisha Fathima) mentions a name in her statement, that person will be named as an accused in the chargesheet. Has the Delhi Police forgotten that between Information and Charge Sheet there are important steps called Investigation and Corroboration?” he said.

The CPM Politburo, meanwhile, said it was “shocked with the brazenness with which the Delhi Police, acting under Home Minister Amit Shah, has tried to implicate prominent political leadership, academics, cultural personalities and activists in connection with the horrific communal violence…”

“No condemnation is strong enough for this act of crude partisanship and vengeance,” it said.

It said the move was in line with a growing pattern of abuse of Central agencies to demonise opponents. Citing the Bhima-Koregaon case and the UP government’s action against Kafeel Khan, the party said the government’s actions were a blatant misuse of powers.