JAIPUR: The opposition Congress Party has demanded a public apology from Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje for giving a false statement on a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the disappearance of tigers from the Sariska sanctuary.

Rajasthan Congress general secretary Harimohan Sharma and spokesman Chandrashekhar Baid have termed the chief minister’s statement on the CBI investigation as “irresponsible and incorrect”.

“The statement made by the chief minister indicates that the state government is trying to hide the actual facts over the issue and is trying to shield the guilty,” they said in a statement.

The chief minister is reported to have said that the state government can only give permission for a CBI probe after the central government makes a formal request.

“The union government has so far not made any request in this regard,” the chief minister had reportedly said. 

Rajasthan’s environment and forest ministry has admitted receiving a letter from the central government seeking permission for the CBI to launch a comprehensive investigation into the tiger fiasco in Sariska. 

The Congress leaders, while referring to the letter, said the central government’s ministry of environment and forest in a letter dated May 6 addressed to the chief secretary of Rajasthan had requested the state government to permit a CBI probe. – Indo-Asian News Service