Kejriwal reposts Modi's old tweet to target him over internal feud in CBI
New Delhi, Oct 24: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Wednesday sought to corner the prime minister over CBI's internal feud, retweeting Narendra Modi's 2013 tweet in which he had slammed the then UPA government for allegedly undermining the intelligence system of the country.
The government Wednesday sent CBI Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana on leave as the two officers were involved in a spat between them.
In a series of tweets, Kejriwal questioned the Modi government's authority to send the CBI director on leave and wondered if the move was related with the Rafale deal.
Kejriwal retweeted Modi's June 5, 2013 tweet in which he had said it was "Unfortunate that in its quest to target political opponents, Centre is undermining intelligence systems with CBI questioning IB officials."
The Congress-led UPA was in power in 2013.
The prime minister-led Appointments Committee Tuesday night gave charge of the director to Joint Director M Nageswara Rao with immediate effect, a government order said.
Kejriwal sought to know from the government reasons behind Verma's removal and questioned if it was trying to "hide" anything.
"What are the reasons for sending CBI director on leave? Under which law did the Modi govt get the authority to initiate action against the chief of an investigating agency appointed as per the Lokpal Act? What is Modi govt trying to hide?" he said in one of his tweets.
In another tweet, he insinuated that the move may be "co-related" the to Rafale deal that has been questioned by the Opposition parties as a "scam".
"Is there a co-relation between (sic) Rafale deal and removal of Alok Verma? Was Alok Verma about to start investigations into Rafale, which could become problem for Modi ji? (sic)" he tweeted.
Later, addressing a gathering at an event in Tri Nagar area, Kejriwal alleged, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has suspended the CBI director at 3 am. Do you know this? Why? I tell you that the Modi government is buying one Rafale fighter jet with a cost of Rs 1,500 crore instead of its original cost of Rs 546 crore. They are doing a scam of Rs 36,000 crore in buying 36 Rafale jets.
"When the CBI director (Alok Verma), who is an honest person, started investigation in the case, he was suddenly transferred at 3 am."
He also alleged, "The CBI director was to register a case (in connection with procurement of Rafale fighter jets) next day. He was transferred...at 3 am."
Unfortunate that in its quest to target political opponents, Centre is undermining intelligence systems with CBI questioning IB officials.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 5, 2013
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.
Bengaluru: Four South African cheetahs arrive at Bannerghatta Biological Park
Bengaluru: Four cheetahs, including two females, have arrived at Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) from South Africa, NDTV reported.
The animals, brought from Induna Primate and Parrot Park in South Africa, landed at Kempegowda International Airport at around 1:15 am on Saturday. The transfer was carried out in accordance with the Wild Life (Protection) Act, BBP said in a statement.
Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre received the cheetahs at the airport cargo terminal.
The Minister asked officials and veterinary teams to ensure strict quarantine protocols, a prescribed diet, and close health monitoring for 30 days to help the animals acclimate smoothly.
Highlighting that cheetahs, locally known as “Sivangi,” have disappeared from Karnataka’s forests, the minister stressed the need to raise public awareness through zoological institutions. He also instructed Dr Sunil Panwar, Member Secretary, Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK), to prioritise the safety and well-being of the animals.
The BBP officials said that before transportation, the cheetahs underwent thorough health inspections and quarantine in South Africa as per the guidelines of the Department of Animal Husbandry.
Required No Objection Certificates (NoC) were also obtained from Animal Quarantine Services prior to import.
"Upon arrival at BBP, the animals have been placed in a designated quarantine facility for post-import health checks and observation, after which they will be shifted to their enclosures for public viewing," the BBP said.
This import underscores BBP's commitment to international collaboration in wildlife conservation, scientific management of animals, and strict adherence to regulatory protocols. It further strengthens the park's role in ex-situ conservation and environmental education, official said.
