JD(U), RJD differ over CBI's entry into Bihar

Patna: Senior functionaries of JD(U) and RJD, both leading allies of the seven-party grand alliance government in Bihar, on Monday sparred on the issue of 'restricting' the entry of CBI in the state.
As per Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act-1946, the CBI requires consent from the respective state governments for conducting investigations in their jurisdiction.
Altogether, nine states, including Mizoram, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Kerala, Jharkhand, Punjab and Meghalaya have withdrawn or not given general consent to the CBI to investigate cases in their jurisdiction.
While RJD national vice president Shivanand Tiwari emphasized on Monday that the Nitish Kumar-led government should withdraw its general consent to the CBI like other nine states, JD(U)parliamentary board chairman and former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha said such a decision should not be taken by any state governments.
“ The way the Narendra Modi government misused or has been misusing the CBI, the different state governments were compelled to take this drastic decision to withdraw their general consent to the central investigating agency,” Tiwari said and asked the Bihar government to withdraw its consent to the CBI under Section 6 of the DSPE Act.
Hours after Tiwari’s statement, Kushwaha said, “In my opinion, no state should restrict the entry of the CBI. If the Government of India is misusing the CBI, the fault lies with the Central government and not with the investigating agency.” He added: “Today, the necessity is that the government at the Centre allows the agencies to work independently. And it would not be proper to ban the agencies.” Asked for his reaction over Tiwari’s remarks, CM Nitish Kumar on Monday said, “I do not know who speaks what (Pata nahi log kya bolte hain)