NEW DELHI, Dec 2 : Accusing the opposition State Governments of following double standards with CBI, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today said that eight of the opposition ruled States have withdrawn general consent to CBI to investigate cases in their respective States on the pretext that they do not trust the CBI but they still continue to give selective consent in a case where they intend to fix a political adversary.
Replying on an issue related to CBI, raised by a Member of Parliament from Kerala in the Rajya Sabha today, Dr Jitendra Singh said, Kerala is one of the States which has withdrawn the general consent to CBI and does not allow investigation into the cases where there are allegations of state atrocity or oppression but promptly refers cases to CBI with consent if the investigation is to be instituted against someone who does not support the State government, he said. It is these State Governments which have to come clear and state whether they trust CBI or not, or they trust CBI selectively only when it suits them, he said.
Describing it as a larger issue calling for wider introspection, Dr Jitendra Singh said, a call has to be taken by the polity, the society and the nation at large whether this is the kind of propriety which is to be followed by a ruling government in a State.
Evoking the example of Gujarat before 2014, when Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh recalled that a series of cases were filed by the CBI against various State Ministers including the Chief Minister’s office at the behest of the then UPA government. But the Gujarat government headed by Chief Minister Modi did not withdraw the general consent for CBI investigation even for a single day and on the contrary, offered full cooperation to the agency which finally could not prove any charges.
Dr Jitendra Singh alleged that the State governments which are reluctant to give general consent to the CBI are unable to follow the example of Gujarat government because they may be having something to hide whereas the Gujarat government had nothing to hide and obtained vindication after rigorous investigation.
Complementing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for following a policy of zero tolerance against corruption and insisting on transparency, Dr Jitendra Singh said that it was under the Modi Government that the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 was amended after 30 years to make the bribe giver also culpable and Lokpal was also made functional. Similarly, interviews for recruitment were abolished to ensure greater transparency, he added.
