PIL in SC seeks NIA probe into toolkit on COVID, suspension of political party status for Congress

NEW DELHI: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed on Tuesday seeking an investigation into toolkit on COVID-19 pandemic by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and suspension of membership of Congress party if the allegations against them are found to be true.

Lawyer Shashank Shekhar Jha made the Indian National Congress (INC) Party, Union of India (UOI), and Election Commission of India (ECI) as respondents in his PIL before the Apex Court. The petition sought direction to the Central government to register a preliminary inquiry pertaining to the alleged toolkit.

Jha said that the toolkit matter must be probed to disclose any offence under section 120-B (Criminal Conspiracy) and various other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and to secure the custody of the said toolkit.

The PIL also sought a direction to the Election Commission of India to suspend the registration of the Congress, if they are found to be allegedly doing anti-national acts and playing with the lives of the common people and a direction to the Union Government to issue necessary guidelines to each and every political party, group, and individual to stop all kinds of hoardings portraying an anti-national stance.

Jha, in his PIL further sought necessary direction to the Central government against the usage of photos of funerals, dead bodies, naming of mutant COVID-19 variant after India and its Prime Minister, calling out a single religion for COVID-19.