Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy called out Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Selection Committee that sacked Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chief Alok Verma on Thursday, January 10.
Swamy, who was a panellist on a news channel on Thursday evening, pointed out that the Supreme Court had “set aside the procedure” through which Alok Verma was removed from his office in a midnight coup in October.
‘I am only saying, what was the difficulty in not asking Alok Verma, to explain’, says Dr Subramanian @Swamy39 in conversation with @RShivshankar #CBIChiefRemoved@jagdishshetty @vhsindia @rvaidya2000 pic.twitter.com/FIBnSkg3v7
— Sanatan Dharma (@HinduDharma1) January 10, 2019
He pointed out that Verma was not given an opportunity to defend himself from the charges against him. “…I am saying what was the difficulty in not asking (Alok) Verma to explain?” enquired Swamy, adding, “…This is elementary. I am surprised you (the Selection Committee) should go around it. It is elementary that whenever a charge is made against somebody, he should be given an opportunity to defend himself.”
Earlier on Thursday evening, the three-member Selection Committee panel voted 2-1 in favour of ousting Verma merely days after he had re-assumed his post as the CBI director, following the Supreme Court verdict. Modi and Justice AK Sikri voted in favour of removing Verma, while Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leader opposed the move.
The decision of the Select Committee is being condemned widely, with the Opposition claiming that the the prime minister sacked Verma in a hurry so as to prevent him from initiating an investigation in the Rafale deal scam. The committee’s decision to not give Verma a fair hearing has also come under fire.
Also Read: Restore Alok Verma’s Powers, Extend Term by 77 Days: Mallikarjun Kharge Had Told Modi-led Panel