HVK Archives: 'Indrajit kept in dark about CBI chief'
'Indrajit kept in dark about CBI chief' - The Observer
E Jayakrishnan
()
2 July 1997
Title: 'Indrajit kept in dark about CBI chief'
Author: E Jayakrishnan
Publication: The Observer
Date: July 2, 1997
The Left constituents on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral
of "keeping Union Home Minister Indrajit Gupta in the dark" before abruptly
shifting CBI director Joginder Singh.
Senior Left leaders said that "the Home Minister was totally kept in the
dark, even though Joginder Singh has been promoted and transferred to the
Home Ministry as Special Secretary and will be reporting to the Home
Minister."
The Left leaders criticised Mr Gujral for his "unilateral decision" on the
CBI director's transfer issue and convened an emergency meeting of the four
United Front constituents - CPM, CPI, Forward Bloc and RSP - on Thursday to
finalise their strategy before the forthcoming steering committee meeting
slated for July 4.
The leaders confirmed that the issue would figure prominently at the
steering committee meeting.
They also come down heavily on new CBI director R C Sharma for "making
blanket and unfounded statements" that "the arrest of politicians will be
the exception than the rule."
Assailing the Prime Minister for the "timing and the context" of Mr
Joginder Singh's removal, CPM politburo member Prakash Karat told The
Observer of Business and Politics that the sacking "is a deliberate move to
stall and hamper the ongoing investigations in cases of corruption,
including the fodder scam, hawala case and the Bofors case.
CPI national secretary D Raja said that "the timing and context of the
transfer leads to speculation and suspicion, particularly when CBI is in
the midst of investigating sensitive and important cases. It is bound to
have serious repercussions. The Prime Minister owes an explanation because
CBI is directly under him."
The CPM said that the transfer of the CBI chief was not an isolated case
but a "landmark" in a series of "compromises" Mr Gujral had to make as
"part of the price of survival."
The CPM leaders said that by transferring the CBI chief, Mr Gujral had
sought to "kill two birds with one stone." A top CPM leader said that
"while the decision sends a message to the Congress that there will be a
slowdown in the filing of the appeal in the Supreme Court, it sends a
signal to the Bihar Chief Minister that the fodder seam will not be taken
to its logical conclusion."
"The message he is sending to all the law enforcement and investigating
agencies is - fall in line, or else you will meet the same fate as that of
the CBI chief. This cannot be condoned," he said.
"Being a weak Prime Minister, with no power base of his own, he is leaning
on the Congress and a section of the Janata Dal to prop himself on to the
Prime Minister's chair," he said.
The Left has also decided to take up the issue at all fora and at all
levels - the United Front steering committee, in Parliament and on the
streets. The Left Front has convened a meeting on Thursday to chalk out
the line it will take at the steering committee meeting on July 4.
While the steering committee meeting on July 4 has been ,called exclusively
to deal with the issue of proposed hike in petroleum prices, the Left has
resolved to bring up the issue of the UF Government's handling of
corruption cases and "demand a detailed explanation from Mr Gujral."
The Left is approaching other "like-minded parties like the Telugu Desam,
AGP and the DMK to forge a common front on the issue of corruption,"
especially in the intra-Front fora like the steering committee and parliament.
There can be no compromise on corruption and if the Government continues to
go along on the path it has chalked for itself, we will be forced to
re-examine our relationship with the UF Government," a senior Left leader
warned.
The Left parties also criticised the statements made by new CBI chief that
the "arrest of politicians will be the exception." "How can he adopt
preconceived positions. Whether an accused, if he is a politician, can be
arrested or not depends on the merit of the case. If it is warranted, how
can he shy away from arresting an accused, even if he is a politician," Mr
asked said.
The Left, according to a senior functionary, feels that by making such
"unfortunate" statements, the new CBI director has "reinforced the
perception" that "he has been placed in the hot seat to do a hatchet job."
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