Opposition leaders, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, NCP’s Sharad Pawar and TMC chief  and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Tuesday urged President Ram Nath Kovind “to direct the Government to act against those responsible for foisting false cases” on the Bhima Koregaon-Elgaar Parishad case accused Father Stan Swamy, who died on Monday.

 “We are urging your immediate intervention as the President of India to direct ‘your Government’ to act against those responsible for foisting false cases on him, his continued detention in jail and inhuman treatment. They must be held accountable. It is now incumbent that all those jailed in the Bhima Koregaon case and other detenues under politically motivated cases, misusing draconian laws like UAPA, sedition etc be released forthwith,” the letter said.

Apart from the four leaders, Chief Ministers MK Stalin, Hemant Soren, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, Tejaswi Yadav, D Raja, Sitaram Yechury and Farooq Abdullah also signed the letter.

They further stated that the Swamy was denied treatment for his various ailments including debilitating Parkinson’s, adding that even a sipper to drink liquids was made available to him in jail only after a nationwide protest.

The letter went on to say that even the numerous appeals made to shift the Jesuit priest from the crowded Tajola Jail amidst a rising number of Covid-19 cases went unheeded. It added that his appeals for bail too, were rejected despite his medical condition.