The Congress has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of interfering in the independent functioning of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and alleged that it was part of a conspiracy to block any action against the “tainted” Special Director Rakesh Asthana.
Secretary of All India Congress Committee Sanjay Dutt, who addressed the workers protesting against the Centre’s move, said the recent shuffling of officers had proved that Mr. Modi had been misusing the investigating agency as an extended wing of the party.
The premier investigating agency’s Director Alok Verma was sent on leave “as a punishment” because the CBI had started raising questions over the Rafale fighterjet deal, said Mr. Dutt, who was AICC secretary in-charge for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
High-profile cases
The CBI had been investigating cases against Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi who had looted the country and fled.
Mr. Dutt alleged that the Prime Minister stepped in and appointed Nageshwar Rao as the interim head of the CBI as the agency had been trying to bring Mr. Mallya and Mr. Choksi to India.
The Prime Minister had been functioning in a most dictatorial fashion and all the statutory bodies, including the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG), were pressured
Mr. Dutt alleged that the Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi was “remote controlled” by Mr. Modi and she had been undermining the elected Government of Puducherry.
Bedi’s action slammed
Terming the collection of funds by the office of the Lt. Governor as inappropriate, Mr. Dutt warned that if Ms. Bedi did not mend her ways and continued to act against the people’s mandate, people would gherao and send her back to Delhi.
Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy alleged that Mr. Modi did not have any moral right to speak about graft as the BJP-ruled States were steeped in corruption. The Centre had been misusing the CBI to implicate political rivals, he said.
He alleged that the Rafale deal had been tweaked by the BJP government in the Centre to benefit Anil Ambani at the cost of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., a public sector undertaking.
During the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime, as per the negotiated price, the cost of one plane was ₹576 crore whereas under the NDA, the plan cost ₹1,670 crore, he said.
Minister for Public Works A. Namassivayam, Revenue Minister M.O.H.F. Shahjahan and MLAs M.N.R. Balan, N. Dhanavelu and V. Vizeaveny participated.
Road blocked
About 100 Congress workers, including Mr. Namassivayam and Mr. Dutt, courted arrest as they resorted to a road blockade at Anna Salai junction as part of the protest.
The agitators raised slogans against the BJP led Government at the Centre and Mr. Modi.