Sandeep Dikshit, 2 Delhi ex-ministers seek probe under UAPA into FBU snooping case; Write to LG

Former MP Sandeep Dikshit as well as Mangat Ram Singhal and Kiran Walia, two former Delhi ministers, have written to LG VK Saxena, demanding an NIA probe under the UAPA into charges of snooping and spying by the city government's Feedback Unit, officials said on Monday.

The LG Secretariat has forwarded the request to the Delhi chief secretary for further action, they added.

Reacting to the development, the Aam Aadmi Party said the BJP and the Congress are hands in glove and it is only their party that is being targeted by the saffron party.

Dikshit, Walia and Singhal are Congress leaders.

Dikshit and the former ministers wrote to Saxena on March 1, saying the sanction to CBI to prosecute AAP leader Manish Sisodia in the Feedback Unit case under the Prevention of Corruption Act was not relevant as it was not just a matter of corruption but a clear case of sedition involving spying on people and institutions, including those at the Centre, with full knowledge of the chief minister and the Cabinet. ''To acquire a capacity to listen to conversations, gather intelligence and information and to 'spy' on people and institutions in the National Capital Territory that includes the Government of India, the defence establishments, intelligence agencies of the Union Government etc, is a clear case of sedition. ''While we are not lawyers, we believe that this invokes the UAPA, or similar acts and the CBI and the NIA must be directed to investigate under laws governing sedition and anti-national activities and as evidence of wrongdoing has already been found, the concerned CM and ministers of Delhi government as well as officials must be prosecuted under such sedition and anti-national laws,'' the letter stated.

Last month, Saxena gave the nod to the CBI to file a case in the matter. Later, the Centre paved the way for registering a new case against Sisodia by giving the CBI sanction for prosecution in a case related to alleged collection of ''political intelligence'' through a Delhi government department.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs conveyed to the LG's Office granting of sanction to prosecute Sisodia under Section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (powers to police for investigating a public servant).

The letter to Saxena further stated, ''We draw your attention to recent news that the CBI sought and received sanction from you to prosecute Manish Sisodia, Minister of Delhi government, in a case of the setting up of a Feedback Unit (FBU) by the Delhi government some years back. This sanction is sought under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

''Sir, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that if the Government of Delhi, with full knowledge of its chief minister, the entire Cabinet and in the presence of senior officials sanctioned and setup a unit that had the capacity and intent to collect information, electronic data etc. with a capacity to intercept and listen to/observe/record data, which is neither allowed to this government constitutionally or in any other way a part of its duties and responsibilities, then it is not just a case of corruption.'' The AAP dispensation had proposed setting up the Feedback Unit in 2015 to gather information and actionable feedback regarding the working of various departments and autonomous bodies, institutions and entities under the jurisdiction of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi and also for ''trap cases'', the CBI had said in its preliminary enquiry report. The unit started functioning in 2016 with a provision of Rs 1 crore for secret service expenditure, it had said. In a statement, the AAP said, ''It is very interesting to see that when AAP government makes any complaint or reference to BJP's LG, he never takes any action on that. But BJP's LG has immediately taken action on a complaint by Congress leaders. ''This shows how BJP and Congress are one and same behind the back. Congress and BJP are one. Cong stands exposed.'' They further said the whole of India is seeing how the BJP is targeting the AAP by slapping false cases against the AAP. ''It is only AAP which is fighting BJP tooth and nail. It is also interesting to see that whereas BJP has arrested Satyendar Jain and Manish Sisodia on completely false cases within a few months of registering FIRs, Rahul Gandhi has not been arrested in a water tight open and shut National Herald case even after 10 years after registering of FIR. ''Why? Likewise, Modi ji promised in 2014 elections that Congress damad Robert Vadra would be arrested immediately after forming government for his dubious land deals. However, Robert Vadra has not been arrested even after nine years of Modi ji coming to power. Why? What is the secret deal between Congress and BJP? It is only AAP which is fighting the dubious national alliance of BJP and Congress.''

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)