Conviction of corrupt higher during UPA: Sibal after PM's remarks at CBI event
New Delhi (PTI): A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the CBI that no corrupt person should be spared, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Tuesday claimed that the conviction of the corrupt was higher during the UPA rule and asked who is "protecting" those indulging in graft.
Addressing a gathering at the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Modi on Monday said there is today no dearth of political will to act against corruption and officers should take action against the corrupt, however powerful, without any hesitation.
In a tweet, Sibal said, "PM to CBI: Don't spare the corrupt. March 2016: Jitendra Singh told Parliament: 2013: 1136 persons convicted for corruption, 2014: 993, 2015:878, 2016: 71. Conviction of the corrupt higher during UPA!"
"Men may lie but facts do not lie. Who is protecting the corrupt? said Sibal, who was a Union minister during the UPA 1 and 2 governments at the Centre.
Sibal quit the Congress in May last year and was elected to the Rajya Sabha as an independent member with the Samajwadi Party's support. He recently floated a non-electoral platform 'Insaaf' aimed at fighting injustice.
In his remarks Tuesday, Modi had said those who benefitted from corruption for decades have created an ecosystem that attacks probe agencies.
"But the agencies should not be deterred by stories about the power of the corrupt and their ecosystem to tarnish them," he said.
"These people will keep distracting you, but you have to focus on your work. No corrupt person should be spared. There should be no laxity in our efforts. This is the wish of the country, this is the wish of the people of the country. The country, law and Constitution are with you," the prime minister said.
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Late flourish masks CSK’s batting woes on lively Chepauk track, hosts post 158/7
Chennai (PTI): Bowlers calling the shots in a format dominated by big hitters is a rarity, but that script played out at Chepauk on Sunday as Gujarat Titans exploited a lively, bounce-friendly surface to stifle Chennai Super Kings before the hosts managed a late flourish to reach 158 for 7.
On a pitch that offered sharp carry, stroke-making demanded discretion and adaptability. Instead, CSK’s batters often opted for high-risk shots without fully assessing conditions, and paid the price with a flurry of miscued dismissals.
Invited to bat, CSK never quite found rhythm but skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s maiden half-century (74 not out) of the current IPL season lent a semblance of respectability to the total in a season where 200-plus scores have become commonplace.
Gaikwad's knock came off 60 balls with six fours and four sixes after a laboured start.
The tone was set early by GT pacer Mohammed Siraj, who extracted steep bounce and forced errors.
Sanju Samson (11) began watchfully, negotiating the first over before opening up against Kagiso Rabada to bring up his 5000 IPL runs milestone. However, Rabada’s bounce soon accounted for him as a hard slash outside off resulted in a faint edge that Jos Buttler pouched safely.
The dismissal triggered a collapse. Urvil Patel (4) fell in the same Rabada over attempting an ambitious pull, while Sarfaraz Khan (0) succumbed to Siraj’s extra lift, mistiming a short ball to offer a simple catch.
At 28 for 3 inside the Powerplay, CSK were already in trouble.
Gaikwad and Dewald Brevis (2) needed to rebuild, but the latter’s impatience against spinner Manav Suthar led to his downfall, holing out after failing to get to the pitch of the ball.
The mounting wickets forced Gaikwad into a shell — an approach that, while understandable, further stalled the momentum. His reluctance to improvise allowed dot balls to pile up, with CSK reaching 50 only in the 12th over.
The skipper eventually broke free, taking on Arshad Khan and Jason Holder with a couple of towering sixes, but the acceleration came too late.
Shivam Dube, dropped thrice on 6, 11 and 22, struggled for fluency before Arshad cleaned him up.
Kartik Sharma (15) and Jamie Overton (18) provided late impetus with a few lusty hits, but the damage had already been done.
On a pitch that rewarded discipline and smart shot selection, Titans' bowlers executed their plans to perfection, while CSK’s batters failed to read the conditions in time, a lapse that ultimately defined the innings.
