Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking for the minutes of the high-power Selection Committee meeting, the CVC findings and the Justice AK Patnaik report to be released immediately, in the aftermath of the unceremonious ouster of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chief Alok Verma. In addition, Kharge also called for an immediate convening of the Selection Committee in order to appoint a new CBI chief.
In his letter, as per an Indian Express report, Kharge noted, “The actions of the government in this matter indicate that it is scared of having the CBI headed by an Independent Director. The government should come clean by releasing the CVC Report, the Report of Justice Patnaik and the minutes of the meeting held on 10th January (2019) so that the public can draw its own conclusion in the matter.”
Kharge also said, “The government should establish its bonafides in fighting corruption and ensuring the integrity of the premier investigative agency, by convening an immediate meeting of the Selection Committee as per Section 4A(1) of the DSPE Act to appoint a Director without any further delay. Any delay would further erode the faith the public has placed in this institution and the credibility of this institution.”
Kharge was the only person in the three-member Selection Committee panel headed by Modi who voted against the ouster of Verma. Justice AK Sikri, the third member of the panel, too, voted in favour of removing Verma as the CBI chief alongside Modi.
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