Opposition records 'deep apprehension', calls verdict dangerous, demands review

New Delhi: As many as 17 opposition parties, including the TMC and AAP, on Wednesday expressed "deep apprehensions" about the long-term implications of the Supreme Court verdict, upholding the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) amendments, with the Congress saying it will move the top court for a review.

In a joint statement, the parties said the judgment will strengthen the hands of a government that "indulges in political vendetta" to target its opponents in a "mischievous and malicious manner" and expressed hope that this "dangerous verdict will be short-lived." "We place on record our deep apprehension on the long-term implications of the recent Supreme Court judgment upholding, in entirety, the amendments to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, without examining whether some of these amendments could have been enacted by way of the Finance Act," the statement said. The parties said, "they hold and will always hold" the Supreme Court in the highest respect.

"Yet, we are compelled to point out that the judgment should have awaited the verdict of a larger Bench for examining the constitutionality of the Finance Act route to carry out amendments." Addressing a press conference, Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Abhishek Singhvi said they will also move the top court seeking a review of the SC verdict.

"We have sought a review and all opposition leaders will meet the President of India and whatever needs to be done in the Supreme Court will be done," said Ramesh. Singhvi said this shows that these 17 parties, representing 55 percent of the country, believe that this law is being misused and that is why people are jointly opposing this.

The joint statement also said if tomorrow SC holds that challenged amendments through Finance Act are bad in law, the entire exercise would become futile and lose law, then the entire exercise would become futile and lose judicial time.

"These far-reaching amendments strengthened the hands of a government, indulging in the political vendetta of the worst kind, by using these very amended laws relating to money laundering and investigation agencies, to target its political opponents in a mischievous and malicious manner," the opposition parties alleged.

The joint statement was signed by the Congress, the TMC, DMK, AAP, NCP, Samajwadi Party, Shiv Sena, CPI-M, CPI, IUML, RSP, MDMK, RJD and RLD, among others.