Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said an Ordinance to ban the CBI from investigating offences and cases registered in Kerala was in the works and urged the government to drop the purported move.
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Mr. Chennithala said the file to request the governor to promulgate the Ordinance was on the table of the Law Secretary. The measure was to cover up high-level corruption in the State government.
The CBI inquiry into the LIFE Mission-UAE Red Crescent contract to provide free housing for the poor in Thrissur had rattled the government. It feared the probe would reach the door of Ministers and top bureaucrats, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The fear of prosecution by the CBI had prompted the government to impede the investigation by attempting to pass an executive order to hobble the probe.
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Mr. Chennithala said he would request Governor Arif Mohammad Khan to reject the government's proposal. He would also move the court if required.
LDF stand
When pressed about the proposed Ordinance, LDF convener A. Vijayaraghavan said the government was not against the CBI. However, agencies should operate within their Constitutional bounds and not impede government programmes and policies. He did not deny or acknowledge that an Ordinance to curb the CBI was in the offing.