The Congress yesterday held Prime Minister Narendra Modi solely responsible for “dismantling, denigrating and destroying” the Central Bureau of Investigation and accused him and Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah of “perpetually misusing” the central probe agency.
In the wake of the CBI registering a corruption case against its Special Director Rakesh Asthana and raiding its own headquarters, the Congress said Modi’s role in the entire matter was under a cloud.
The opposition party also raised questions over “Modi summoning” CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma and Research and Analysis Wing chief Anil Dhasmana to his residence on Monday hours after the CBI arrested its Deputy Superintendent Devendra Kumar in connection with the case against Asthana.
“Was it to influence the ongoing corruption investigation against CBI and RAW officers,” asked Congress spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala.
Apart from Asthana, the CBI has also named Samant Kumar Goel, special director of India’s external intelligence agency RAW.
Surjewala said “habitual and perpetual misuse” of CBI by Modi and Shah in fixing political opponents and illegal intervention to tamper with fair investigation of serious criminal cases has landed the agency in an unfathomable mess, eroding its independence and credibility.
“The entire nation is looking for a fair, impartial and independent investigation of the serious charges of corruption involving senior most officers of CBI and RAW,” he said.
Surjewala said it was also required to investigate as to who in the current political dispensation was involved in the entire saga and is attempting to shield the accused involved in the matter.
Citing Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan getting a clean chit in the Vyapam Scam as well as the escape of fraudsters Nirav Modi Mehul Choksi and Vijay Mallya out of the country, the Congress alleged the Modi government was influencing the CBI.
The Congress accused Modi of “systematically demolishing” the independent architecture of all premier agencies including the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
“These agencies are being used as captive puppets in converting them to dirty tricks department of the BJP,” added Surjewala.
Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court yesterday asked the CBI to maintain status quo in the ongoing probe involving Asthana and granted him interim protection from arrest till October 29.
The ‘status quo’ is generally referred to the existing state of affairs or circumstances, and now, both sides involved in the dispute are prevented from taking any action until the next date of hearing.