How CBI infighting took 'Rafale-turn'

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has, however, dismissed as "rubbish" the allegations that CBI Director Alok Verma was removed because he wanted to look into the Rafale fighter jet deal.

Central Bureau of Investigation Chief Alok Verma. Photo: PTI

NEW DELHI: As the Centre on Wednesday sent on leave feuding CBI director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana, Congress President Rahul Gandhi has alleged that the agency chief was removed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for raising questions on Rafale deal. "The CBI director was removed last night because the agency was raising questions over Rafale," Gandhi alleged, adding that Verma had asked for documents of the fighter jet deal. Also in a tweet, Gandhi said, "CBI Chief Alok Verma was collecting documents relating to the Rafale scam. He was forcibly sent on leave". The Prime Minister's message is very clear that whoever comes near Rafale (issue) will be removed, wiped out, he charged. "PM removed the CBI Director to stop him from investigating Rafale. Mr 56 broke the law when he bypassed CJI and LOP. Mr Modi, Rafale is a deadly aircraft with a superb radar. You can run, but you can't hide from It," Gandhi said. Echoing the same charges, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said: "The media has reported that the CBI Director wanted to investigate the Rafael deal. I think that could be the only reason that he was transferred at 3 am." Earlier, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala wondered if Verma was "sacked" for his keenness to probe the "layers of corruption" in the Rafale scam and sought an answer from Narendra Modi. DMK President M K Stalin also lashed out at the Centre over the rumblings in the CBI, saying they have come at a time when the agency was likely to take up cases like the Rafale deal.  "Reports suggest he had ordered a preliminary enquiry into the Rafale deal. The Prime Minister, who was angered by this, has used the opportunity to appoint IG level official Rao as director and this is misuse of authority," Stalin said. He said there was a public perception that the Centre's actions were seen more to 'conceal' the Rafale issue rather than protecting Asthana. Verma was always opposed to the "forceful imposition of Asthana into the CBI by Prime Minister Modi," Stalin said, and condemned the action against Verma. There was no immediate reaction from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on the allegations. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has, however, dismissed as "rubbish" the allegations that Verma was removed because he wanted to look into the Rafale fighter jet deal. He said the government's decision to remove Verma and CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana was based on the Central Vigilance Commission's (CVC) recommendations. In an unprecedented shake-up in the CBI's 55-year-history, both its Director and Special Director were stripped of their powers and sent on leave in a dramatic overnight action by the government after their worsening feud sparked a serious crisis in the country's premier probe agency. As the government went into damage control mode in a bid to defuse the crisis, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by PM Modi late Tuesday night named Joint Director M Nageswar Rao, a 1986-batch Odisha cadre IPS officer, as interim director with "immediate effect". But Verma knocked the doors of the Supreme Court Wednesday challenging the government's decision after which it agreed to hear his plea on Friday. Targeting the Centre, Verma contended that divesting him of his powers "overnight" amounts to interference in the independence of the agency. He said as the CBI is expected to function completely independently and autonomously, there are bound to be occasions when certain investigations into high functionaries do not take the direction that may be desirable to the government. (With inputs from PTI)