'Dangerous verdict': Opposition on SC's order upholding amendments to PMLA

The Opposition statement came at a time when several anti-BJP leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, are facing investigation by the ED

Sixteen Opposition parties on Wednesday found fault with the Supreme Court verdict upholding the “draconian” amendments to the money laundering law, claiming that the apex court “virtually reproduced” the arguments of the government when it was to give an “independent” order on the lack of checks and balances in the provisions.

The parties warned that the entire exercise would become futile if a larger bench of the Supreme Court hearing the issue of whether such provisions could be brought in through money bill route declares it illegal.

Trinamool Congress and AAP, which otherwise were keeping away from joint Opposition programmes, signed the statement along with Congress and other parties, including DMK, Samajwadi Party, CPI(M), CPI, MDMK, RJD, RSP, Shiv Sena, Kerala Congress, Muslim League, RLD and JMM and independent MP Kapil Sibal.

The Opposition statement came at a time when several anti-BJP leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, are facing investigation by the Enforcement Directorate. The Opposition has accused Narendra Modi of misusing central agencies like the CBI, ED and Income Tax to target Opposition leaders.

Emphasising that they “hold and will hold” the Supreme Court in the highest respect, they said they have “deep apprehension on the the long-term implications” of the judgement upholding the amendments to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 without examining whether some of them could have been enacted by way of Finance Act.

They said they were compelled to point out that the judgement – which upheld the powers of the ED to arrest as well as search, seize and attach property among others – should have awaited the verdict of a larger bench for examining the constitutionality of the Finance Act route to carry out such amendments.

“These far-reaching amendments strengthened the hands of a government indulging in 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,” they said.

“We are also very disappointed that the highest judicial authority, invited to give an independent verdict on the lack of checks and balances in the Act, has virtually reproduced arguments given by the Executive in support of draconian amendments. We hope that the dangerous verdict will be short-lived and constitutional provisions will prevail soon,” it said.

The parties also warned that the entire exercise would become futile if the Supreme Court holds that the challenged amendments through the Finance Act are bad in law.