The Congress on Saturday alleged selective victimisation of anti-CAA protesters instead of a fair investigation into the riots in Delhi and asked the Supreme Court to scrutinise such cases to ensure injustice is not done to the innocent.

Party spokesperson Anand Sharma urged the court to take cognisance of all these cases, explaining how serious charges were being selectively slapped on those protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act, including the petition seeking registration of FIRs against activists and top Congress leaders.

“We urge the Supreme Court to take cognisance of all these cases. The court should appoint an amicus curie, let them scrutinise all such cases in which people are being wrongly framed and put in jails,” he said.

“It is a matter of grave concern. Delhi police, which allowed the city to burn for almost four days, is now selectively targeting persons instead of punishing the real culprits. The Supreme Court is the custodian of the Constitution. Delays don’t help; the entire world is watching this country. It is time the Supreme Court intervenes effectively to protect the rights of the citizens guaranteed by the Constitution.”

Without giving specific details, Sharma said: “Such cases are being slapped on activists in which bail is not granted.”

There is an atmosphere of fear; this will intensify the unrest in the society. The government is least bothered. Accountability must be fixed but what is happening is vendetta. There is still rule of law in the country. How can you slap an attempt to murder case for satyagrah? We have no expectation of justice from the central government or the Delhi government. But we hope the apex court will intervene; it is their duty.”

Sharma said laws were being misused and wrongly interpreted to crush dissent. “The Supreme Court should clearly articulate whether the citizens have the freedom to protest or not? Is opposing the government’s policy sedition? A new trend has emerged. Permission for peaceful protest is not given. But nothing is done if somebody instigates violence and burns the city. The definition of hate speech is distorted.”

Responding to a question on Kanhaiya Kumar, he said: “The real face of Arvind Kejriwal has been exposed. The AAP government’s thinking on the CAA-NRC is the same as the BJP’s. They are two sides of a coin. The Delhi government doesn’t control the police but the administration is under them. They could have tried to curb rioting.”

The Kejriwal government has sanctioned the prosecution of Kanhaiya and nine others in a sedition case linked to alleged slogans raised at Jawaharlal Nehru University on February 9, 2016.

Former home minister P. Chidambaram tweeted on Kejriwal’s permission to prosecute Kanhaiya, saying: “Delhi government is no less ill-informed than the central government in its understanding of sedition law. I strongly disapprove the sanction granted to prosecute Kanhaiya Kumar and others for alleged offences under sections 124A and 120B of Indian Penal Code.”

Section 124A deals with sedition and Section 120B with criminal conspiracy.