CBI truly performing its duty, no more a caged parrot: Law Minister Rijiju days after CJI remark
New Delhi, Apr 3: The CBI is no more a "caged parrot" but is truly performing its duty as India's top criminal investigating agency, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju asserted, saying there was a time when people sitting in the government sometimes used to become a problem in investigations.
He also said that the challenges some officers had faced in the past are "no more in existence".
The minister's remarks defending the agency came close on the heels of Chief Justice of India N V Ramana saying that the CBI's credibility has come under deep public scrutiny with the passage of time as its actions and inactions have raised questions in some cases.
In a tweet on Sunday, Rijiju said, "CBI is no more "Caged Parrot" but truly performing its duty as India's top criminal investigating agency".
He also shared a short video of his address on Saturday at the first-ever conference of investigating officers of the CBI.
In his address, Rijiju said that "there used to be a time, I remember very well, that the people who sit in the government, sometimes they become a problem in the investigation".
He said today there is a prime minister who himself is playing a lead role in the crusade against corruption.
"I know the difficulties when people in power are involved in corruption; when their compliances which are difficult to be met with... It becomes difficult for the CBI. Then we have heard some unsavoury remarks from the judiciary in the past. We have come a long way now," the minister said.
During a hearing of the coalfield allocation case in 2013, the Supreme Court had described the CBI as a "caged parrot".
Addressing the 19th D P Kohli Memorial Lecture of the CBI on April 1, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ramana had also called for creating an "independent umbrella institution" to bring various investigating agencies under one roof.
The CJI said, "When it comes to the CBI, it possessed immense trust of the public in its initial phase. In fact, the judiciary used to be flooded with requests for transfer of investigations to the CBI, as it was a symbol of impartiality and independence."
"Whenever the citizenry doubted the skill and impartiality of its own state police, they sought an investigation by the CBI, as they wanted justice to be done. But, with the passage of time, like every other institution of repute, the CBI has also come under deep public scrutiny.Its actions and inactions have raised questions regarding its credibility, in some cases," Justice Ramana had said.
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Health minister Wes Streeting's resignation piles pressure on UK PM Starmer
London (PTI): UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned from the Cabinet on Thursday, declaring that he had lost confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
As a frontrunner to replace Starmer at 10 Downing Street, Streeting is expected to launch his bid to be elected Labour leader if he can secure the backing of the party's requisite 81 members of Parliament.
It piles further pressure on Starmer, who has been attempting to quell an internal rebellion over the devastating results for the governing party in last week’s local elections.
“It is now clear that you will not lead the Labour Party into the next general election and that Labour MPs and Labour unions want the debate about what comes next to be a battle of ideas, not of personalities or petty factionalism," Streeting said in his resignation letter addressed to Starmer.
“It needs to be broad, and it needs to be the best possible field of candidates. I support that approach and I hope you will facilitate it,” he said.
The former minister accused his boss of lacking any vision and overseeing a power “vacuum” and also went on to highlight his own record of leading the Department for Health and Social Care and state-funded National Health Service (NHS).
Streeting added: “The National Health Service is the embodiment of all that is best about Britain and our values. Thanks to our Labour government, it is on the road to recovery: lots done, but so much more to do.
“These are all good reasons for me to remain in post, but as you know from our conversation earlier this week, having lost confidence in your leadership, I have concluded that it would be dishonourable and unprincipled to do so.”
His words are being interpreted as paving the way for a Labour leadership contest, with former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband among his other expected rivals.
While some indications are that this process may not be triggered any time soon, Starmer's future as Labour leader is looking extremely tenuous if the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) gets involved in a formal election process.
Meanwhile, Rayner issued a statement earlier to confirm that she had been cleared by the UK tax authorities of any wrongdoing over her financial affairs that had forced her to step down from the Cabinet last year.
"I took reasonable care and acted in good faith, based on the expert advice I received, and HMRC [His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs] has accepted this," she said.
This is seen as her declaring her intention to be ready to join the fray, should a Labour leadership election be launched.
The latest turmoil at the top of the British government comes after a series of junior ministerial resignations, with Starmer staying the course by announcing their replacements. Earlier his ally, Chancellor Rachel Reeves, cautioned her colleagues to refrain from plunging the country into chaos and putting the UK’s economic recovery at risk.
“We shouldn’t put that at risk by plunging the country into chaos at a time when there is conflict in the world, but also at a time when our plan to grow the economy is starting to bear fruit," she said.
However, the deep divisions within the Labour Party ranks are only expected to escalate further in the coming days and weeks.
