“With a Lokpal in place, CBI would come under its jurisdiction and cases of manipulation of CBI to suit the PM’s political agenda of helping friends and harassing opponents will be reduced”
Joint Statment by Jairam Ramesh and Prasad Harichandan
Post News Network
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh Sunday accused the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre of blackmailing Orissa’s ruling BJD to garner support in parliament for the passage of various bills.
Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Ramesh accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not allowing CBI to properly investigate the chit fund and mining scams in Orissa. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assertions of zero tolerance against corruption and his ‘Na khaunga, na khane doonga’ claim are hollow slogans, which have been repeatedly contradicted by Modi himself in not initiating decisive action against corruption and people accused of corruption,” said the former Union minister.
Ramesh and OPCC president Prasad Harichandan demanded in a joint statement that the CBI probe into the chit fund and mining scams in Orissa be monitored by a committee appointed by the Supreme Court.
Referring to a statement by Union tribal affairs minister Jual Oram to an Orissa-based news channel that the CBI probe into the scams had slowed down, Harichandan said, “We stand vindicated by the fact that BJP and BJD are in cahoots in looting the resources and the people of Orissa. Evidence for this fact has come shockingly and truly from none less than the prime minister’s cabinet colleague from Orissa, Jual Oram, who has left very little to speculation by making a categorical statement on this fact.” Harichandan alleged there is a tacit understanding between the BJP-led Centre and Orissa’s BJD government to suppress the investigation into the two major scams.
When asked why the previous UPA government did not order a CBI probe into the scams and took no action against the Orissa government, Prasad said, “It is the state government’s responsibility to refer cases to CBI. Congress has been protesting against the scams time and again.”
However, Orissa’s BJD government has drawn appreciation from both the erstwhile UPA government and the present NDA government on several occasions earlier.
The Congress leaders also urged the Centre to appoint a Lokpal and allow CBI to function independently. “With a Lokpal in place, CBI would come under its jurisdiction and cases of manipulation of CBI to suit the PM’s political agenda of helping friends and harassing opponents will be reduced. CBI is currently held captive at the door steps of the PMO,” said the joint statement of the Congress leaders.