Ahead of the high-power selection committee meeting on January 24 to decided on the next CBI Director, the Congress on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to appoint a pliant officer.

Deputy leader of the Congress in the Rajya Sabha, Anand Sharma, told reporters that the process of selecting the CBI chief must be transparent and only officers with unblemished track record should be considered. “I have said on the 10th of January from this podium that the Prime Minister is desperate to select and appoint a pliant CBI Director to buy future protection for all the acts of omission and commission of his government,” Mr Sharma alleged.

“No officer against whom there is any question mark, any charges during service career, should be considered for empanelment. Otherwise, it would be a gross miscarriage of justice,” he said

On Thursday, the high-power committee — headed by the Prime Minister and including Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge — will be meeting to appoint a full time director in place of the former CBI chief Alok Verma.

The country’s premier investigating agency has been in turmoil since October last when the rivalry between Mr. Verma and the former number two in the agency, Rakesh Asthana, resulted in a bitter factional feud. On October 23, the government stepped in and sent the former CBI chief on forced leave.

The Supreme Court, after hearing a petition from Mr. Verma challenging the manner of his removal, restored his position. However, on January 10, Mr. Verma was removed by the high-power committee a second time within 48 hours by a 2:1 majority where the Congress member dissented.

A week later, on January 17, the government transferred out Mr. Asthana and has removed several officials to put an end to the factionalism within the CBI.