Welcoming the Supreme Court’s decision to reinstate Central Bureau of Investigation director Alok Verma on Tuesday, the Aam Aadmi Party hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the overnight removal of Mr. Verma in October.
Mr. Verma had been removed as director of the CBI on the intervening night of October 23 and 24 and sent on leave, following a feud with CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana.
With the Supreme Court reinstating him, AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal questioned the government’s decision to remove him.
“The Supreme Court reinstating the CBI director Alok Verma is a direct indictment of the Prime Minister. Modi govt has ruined all institutions and democracy in our country. Wasn’t the CBI director illegally removed at midnight to stall the probe in Rafale scam which directly leads to PM himself? [sic],” Mr. Kejriwal tweeted.
Later, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh at a press conference said the AAP had been among the worst “victims” of the “misuse” of the CBI by the government, with everyone from Mr. Kejriwal to Ministers in Delhi government being subjected to raids.
He added that while the government had “destroyed all institutions” since coming to power in 2014, in Mr. Verma’s case, it had attacked the officers of the institution itself.
‘Forcibly sent’
“What was the Modi government scared of that it sent paramilitary forces inside the CBI headquarters overnight to search the office of the CBI director after forcibly sending him on leave,” asked Mr. Singh.
He added that the CBI would have investigated the Rafale deal had Mr. Verma not removed.
