Who caged the CBI?
Just as the skirmishes between CBI and the centre continue, the issue has now turned into a clash between the states and centre Andhra and West Bengal have now insisted that the CBI officers have to seek permission from states before entering them on work. States have to give permission to Delhi Police Establishment to carry out searches or investigation, in any state. If this permission does not come through, the CBI cannot enter the states. Now both states have withdrawn the permission they had given earlier. If more states join this bandwagon, it wouldn’t be too unexpected a move. It is noteworthy that both the states are not ruled by the BJP. Centre has criticized this move by the states. It has mocked that by closing doors on the CBI, states have proved that they are indeed corrupt. But who brought CBI to this sorry state? The central government has to do some introspection on this.
CBI is often criticized as a caged parrot that obeys the commands of its masters in power in Delhi. It works to please any party that rules the country. Any party that assumes power at the centre will most certainly use the CBI to fulfil its agenda. The previous UPA government is no exception either. But there is a limit to this. Central government had never gotten down to fight with the CBI so openly. Its credibility was never brought under a magnifying glass of suspicion or trust. CBI officers had never revolted against the Centre. CBI has lost its credibility after Modi assumed power and the central government is directly interfering with its functioning after Modi became the PM. This has reached such a boiling point that CBI chiefs have stood out openly against the government. Today, the future of CBI is in the hands of Supreme Court.
Under such circumstances, the government can use the officers who have lost trust, to fulfil its own agenda. Hence states cannot be blamed for denying permission to CBI in their jurisdiction. In the past, opposition parties would blame the central government if the latter interfered with its functioning. Some would use this as a pretext to defend their false integrity too. Hence all the accusations within the CBI cannot be taken at face value. But the person who has raised concerns about CBI’s functioning is none other than the headman himself. Government should have taken this opportunity to smoothen the functioning of the agency. This was the duty of ruling dispensation. But, the government acted in haste and sent both warring officers on leave. There are rumours that Rakesh Asthana was working in favour of the central government. He was the mole that would inform the central government about the activities of CBI and the cases that were being investigated. This was the sole reason Asthana was appointed in the agency.
These charges were not made by some opposition party or leader, but by the CBI chairman himself. Instead of checking the veracity of his claims, the government acted in haste and sent both officers on leave. The main reason behind sending Varma in leave was that he had taken Rafale deal investigation very seriously and was putting together major evidences pertaining to the case. The new incharge officer is directly in favour of BJP since long. This is no secret either that his family transferred money to BJP in the past. Also, the Supreme Court has also clipped his wings. He cannot take any decision or discharge duties on his own. Central government may well use every opportunity to engage every favourable officer within the CBI to meet its own requirements. General elections are fast approaching and economic decisions have created an atmosphere of intolerance among people. BJP is trying to face this elections with Ram Mandir as a moot issue. Secular forces are coming together under a single banner with Chandrababu Naidu in the lead.
He is trying to bring others together too by way of talking to them. The Modi government that has used CBI to silence its detractors may not hesitate to unleash the same strategy on dissenting leaders of states and even the states are apprehensive about this. How can the CBI, which has a case pending against itself, carry out raids or arrest leaders when its own credibility is at stake? The central government that feels states should not interfere with CBI’s functioning could have allowed the Rafael investigation to complete as well? Sending Varma who was investigating complaints against Asthana on leave is to interfere with the CBI functioning, isn’t it?
Hence the states to maintain a distance between the CBI and themselves, till the accusations and counter accusations reach a logical conclusion is a safe thing to do. It’s even justified. The Supreme Court needs to reinstate the faith of people on CBI by erasing the blots on its functioning right now and return the trust and glory of a premier investigating agency, sooner than later.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Junior Hockey World Cup: IndiGo crisis disrupts travel plans of players' families, fans
Chennai (PTI): For Kate, the dream was simple -- to watch her son Fahy Noah play for the Australian team in the Junior Hockey World Cup here and visit the Taj Mahal.
But her plans, like those of many others, have been upended by the operational crisis that has hit IndiGo, India's largest domestic airline.
"I am here for the first time and India is so kind and welcoming. We were hoping to see the Taj Mahal, but with the IndiGo problems, we are a bit scared now," Kate, who has come from Brisbane, told PTI outside the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium here.
"One family went on a rest day and got stuck overnight. I think we will have to cancel all our travel plans now, though seeing the Taj Mahal was on my bucket list for long," she said.
ALSO READ: IndiGo fight disruptions: Opposition demands statement from government
This is the first time that 24 teams are participating in the Junior Hockey World Cup, being held in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 to December 10. For most players and their families, it is their maiden trip to India. Many NRIs have also flown in to support the Indian team.
However, the widespread flight delays and cancellations have thrown schedules into chaos. IndiGo cancelled thousands of flights last week, citing regulatory changes in the pilots' flight duty and regulations norms. This resulted in lakhs of passengers getting stuck at airports across the country.
Laura, who has come from Belgium with her entire family to support her son, said they are now travelling by road.
"We are happy to be here in this beautiful country. We went to Munnar and Madurai, and now we are planning to go to Puducherry and Mahabalipuram by road," she said.
"We had taken IndiGo flights earlier, but some other families who travelled on different days got stuck and somehow managed to come back by train. So we are not flying anywhere in India now. Road travel only and then back to Brussels next week," she said.
For 87-year-old Kenyan hockey legend Avtar Singh Sohal, a four-time Olympian and a lifelong supporter of Indian hockey, the crisis was particularly distressing. He spent 12 gruelling hours at the Chandigarh airport on December 4 before finally reaching Chennai just in time for the quarterfinals.
"Our IndiGo flight was delayed by 12 hours. We were at the airport from 7 am to 7 pm. They kept giving excuses -- the aircraft has not arrived, the pilot is not available. We had no idea what was actually happening," he said.
Accompanying Sohal was 85-year-old Tarlok Singh Mandair, a former treasurer of the English Hockey Association, who had flown in from London.
"It was a horrible experience. They kept changing the timings from 12 noon to 4 pm and we finally took off at 7:20 pm. They gave us sandwiches which were not even good," Mandair recalled.
"Our return flight is also on IndiGo, but now we are exploring other options," he said.
Jujhar Singh Plaha, 86, from London, who was on the same flight, said his excitement has turned into anxiety.
"We were so excited about this trip; hockey is our first love. But this (IndiGo crisis) spoiled our mood. Now we are worried about returning because at our age, we cannot travel long distances by train or road," he said.
Jason, the father of Australian player Roger Lachlan, has had an eventful trip to India so far -- beginning with the rain in Chennai triggered by Cyclone Ditwah.
"We are from Hobart -- home of Ricky Ponting and David Boon. We arrived after a cyclone, which caused heavy rain. Now the sun is out and we are enjoying ourselves," he said with a smile.
Jason, too, has shelved all further travel plans.
"No sightseeing now. We will just eat, swim and head back. I am loving masala dosa, masala tea and curries," he said.
Some fans from Bengaluru, who had booked their flight tickets months in advance, decided not to take a risk. They opted for refunds and drove down to Chennai on Sunday to catch the semifinal.
"With flight uncertainty and trains full, we drove down. We did not want to miss India in the semis," said Vinod Chinnappa, who drove for six hours to come here.
Even officials have not been spared by the flight disruptions.
Digvijay Singh, an official of the Hockey India League franchise, waited eight hours at the Patna airport to catch a flight to Chennai.
"I did not want to miss the India-Belgium quarterfinal, so I waited. I finished all episodes of (web series) Family Man at the lounge," he said.
"I had gone to Patna from Delhi for a meeting earlier in the day and then needed to connect to Chennai," Singh said.
With the World Cup set to wrap up in two days, uncertainty about people's plans to return home looms large.
With prices of alternative flights rising and train seats nearly impossible to find, fans, officials, families and journalists are monitoring travel apps as closely as match updates.
If the situation does not improve soon, returning home could be as challenging as winning matches on the field.
