CBI Chief Meeting Arun Shourie, Prashant Bhushan On Rafale Upsets Centre
NEW DELHI, Oct 09: Central Bureau of Investigation director Alok Verma's meeting with former Union minister Arun Shourie and lawyer Prashant Bhushan on the Rafale deal has not gone down well with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-headed Union government.
Mr Shourie and Mr Bhushan met the CBI director last Thursday to file a complaint and urge the agency to investigate the Rafale deal and offset contract. The third complainant in the matter is former finance minister Yashwant Sinha.
The Union government is upset with Mr Verma, especially given the fact that Mr Sinha and Mr Shourie, who used to be with the BJP, have now become bitter critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"It is unheard of that the CBI director personally meets complainants, especially given that they are politicians," a senior cabinet minister told NDTV.
According to the minister, the normal procedure is to handover the complaint at the CBI office reception.
"Even junior officers refuse to meet complainants. The officer may meet a complainant only when a complaint is formalised and an inquiry is initiated," the minister added.
Along with a detailed complaint under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Mr Bhushan and Mr Shourie submitted documents buttressing their argument that the deal needs to be probed.
Alleging that the offset contract for the Rafale aircraft was actually a commission to a subsidiary of Anil Ambani's Reliance group, they asked CBI director Alok Verma to take the government's permission to initiate a probe in accordance with the law.
There's another reason the government is upset with Mr Verma - his alleged tussle with CBI special director Rakesh Asthana, the second senior-most officer in the agency.
"The credibility of the agencies has suffered as they seem to have gone into the hands of rogue elements," the minister lamented, referring not just to the CBI but also the Enforcement Directorate.
In a letter to revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia, dated June 11, Enforcement Directorate joint director Rajeshwar Singh had asked a series of uncomfortable questions and accused him of "siding with scamsters". The letter was forwarded to Mr Adhia by Enforcement Directorate chief Karnal Singh.
CBI special director Rakesh Asthana and revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia are Gujarat cadre officers who are said to have been handpicked for these key positions by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Centre's unhappiness with Mr Verma, Karnal Singh and Rajeshwar Singh could also stem from this fact.
Courtesy: www.ndtv.com
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.
Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
