Delhi Riots Chargesheet is a ‘Cheatsheet’: Brinda Karat Slams Centre Over Delhi Police’s Name List

Earlier on Wednesday, Salman Khurshid, who is the highest-ranking politician named by Delhi Police, slammed Centre calling the chargesheet a “garbage collection”.

New Delhi: Delhi Police’s chargesheet in the northeast Delhi violence is a “cheatsheet”, says CPI(M) politburo Brinda Karat, who was among the prominent leaders named in the list.

The Delhi Police released a controversial chargesheet earlier this month that had named senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Salman Khurshid, CPM leader, Brinda Karat, Udit Raj, student activist Kawalpreet Kaur, scientist Gauhar Raza and advocate Prashant Bhushan, among many other politicians and activists who gave “provocative” speeches during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which eventually led to the violent protests in February.

“I say this is not a chargesheet, this is a cheatsheet and the government of India through the Delhi police directly under instruction of home Ministry is cheating the people of India,” Brinda Karat told news agency ANI.

Earlier on Wednesday, Salman Khurshid, who is the highest-ranking politician named by Delhi Police, slammed Centre calling the chargesheet a “garbage collection” in the name of “provocative speeches”.

“If you pick up all the garbage there is, you will end up with over 17,000 sheets of a chargesheet. A chargesheet is supposed to be distilled, authentic, effective and useful evidence of a cognizable offence. If someone says that 12 people came and made provocative speeches, it can’t be that 12 people made the same kind of provocative speech and each one had the same level of provocation. Provocation and mobilisation is not a criminal offence in this country,” Khurshid said while speaking to The Indian Express.

The charge sheet, filed on September 16, stated that protest sites were established despite resistance from local people, which was supported by statements of witnesses in the case. The crime committed by the key conspirators is not just legally but morally reprehensible, the charge sheet claimed.

The violence, which took place between groups supporting and opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act in February this year, led to the deaths of at least 53 people and hundreds of others were injured.