What are You Trying to Hide, Asks Oppn After Centre’s

The outcome of  government   to divest CBI director Alok Verma and special director Rakesh Asthana of all charges in the middle of a bitter feud triggered a fresh war of words on Wednesday, with the opposition questioning its authority to do so. The prime minister-led Appointments Committee in an order on Tuesday night gave interim charge of the agency to joint director M Nageshwara Rao. The order implies that the government has side lined all the three additional directors, number three in the agency hierarchy, including A K Sharma whose name had figured in the complaint by Asthana.

Lashing out at the BJP-led government at the Centre, AAP chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal alleged that it was trying to “hide” something. What are the reasons for sending CBI director on leave? Under which law did the Modi govt get the authority to initiate action against the chief of an investigating agency appointed as per the Lokpal Act ? What is Modi govt trying to hide ? (sic),” he tweeted.

Arvind Kejriwal

✔@ArvindKejriwal

CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury termed the move as “illegal” and alleged a “cover-up”. “The illegal removal of CBI Chief by Modi government to protect their own handpicked officer, against whom serious charges of corruption are being investigated, points to attempts at a serious cover-up to protect his direct links to the BJP’s top political leadership,” he said.