A government source insisted that the petition did not hold ground technically since Verma had not been sacked
New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government’s CBI woes seem far from over. If CBI director Alok Verma and special director Rakesh Asthana washing their dirty linen in the Supreme Court wasn’t enough, now Congress’s leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has moved the apex court against the Centre’s decision of sending Verma on leave. Kharge called the Centre’s move “illegal”, in violation of the CBI Act.
In his petition, Kharge said only the three-member committee of the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India and leader of opposition could take a decision on the appointment or removal of the CBI director as per the Act.
Ironically, Kharge had, in January 2017, opposed the appointment of Alok Verma as CBI chief, calling him “inexperienced”.
On Saturday, Kharge said that the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) had no power to act against the CBI director.
Speaking to news agency PTI, Kharge said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s suo motu action of sending CBI director Alok Verma on leave is illegal and is in violation of the CBI Act”.
MyNation has reliably learnt that Kharge may have filed this petition on his personal capacity but not before a go-ahead from party president Rahul Gandhi. While speaking to MyNation, a government source insisted that the petition did not hold ground technically since Verma had not been sacked but sent on leave.
He said, “Verma is still the DCBI (director of CBI). There were allegations against both Rakesh Asthana and him. Hence, both of them were sent on leave. And the government is within its right to do that”.
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