22.3.13

Of CBI politics


BJP leader Arun Jaitley accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of “blatantly interfering” in CBI’s functioning and “crippling” it from conducting routine probe in the context of CBI searches at DMK leader M K Stalin’s house in Chennai.
“Merely because it has a political fallout, it is improper for any prime minister or finance minister to so blatantly interfere in the functioning of CBI and cripple it from carrying on its routine investigations,” Jaitley said.
Leaders across party lines slammed the Congress-led UPA government for CBI searches at Stalin’s house soon after DMK pulled out of the ruling coalition at the Centre. BSP chief Mayawati slammed the government saying she too has been a victim of “misuse” of the CBI by BJP and Congress to further their political interests.
“I have been a victim of the misuse of CBI. Be it BJP or Congress, both have misused CBI,” she said. She said soon after parting ways with BJP, the NDA government used the agency to target her.
Jaitley said if CBI was carrying out its search in the normal course of investigation, then it should have been allowed to carry out the exercise at Stalin’s residence.
“If this was a search in the normal course of CBI investigation, CBI is entitled to carry out that search. What business does the government have or the political regime have to interfere in CBI and stop search?” asked Jaitley.
He said CBI carries out searches on many people but the PM has never condemned them.
Hitting out at PM and the finance minister for condemning the search, Jaitley said, “They can’t condemn a search because it is the job of CBI in connection with their investigation to search premises.”

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