Reacting to the decision of Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal governments to withdraw the “general consent” accorded to the CBI to conduct raids and probes, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said that those who had a lot to hide would fear the central investigating agency.
Asserting that no state had sovereignty in the matter of corruption, Jaitley alleged that the decision of the Andhra Pradesh government was motivated by “what is likely to happen”.
He also pointed out that the CBI was created initially for the employees of the central government and then, to investigate certain kinds of very serious cases in the states, which were referred to it either by the states or courts.
“It is only those who have a lot to hide will take the step of saying let the CBI not come to my state. There is no sovereignty of any state in the matter of corruption,” Jaitley said in response to a query from media persons in Bhopal after releasing the BJP’s manifesto for the Nov 28 Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls.
“It is believed that Andhra’s move is not motivated by any particular case, but by the fear of what is likely to happen. I am not saying anything more than that at the moment,” he added.
“We have a federal structure in India and under that federal structure, the CBI was created initially for the employees of the central government and then, to investigate certain kinds of very serious cases in the states, which were referred to it either by the states or courts,” Jaitley said.
Referring to the alleged Saradha chit fund scam and the Narada sting operation, he said, “Saradha and Narada in West Bengal cannot be wiped off merely by saying that for the future, I de-notify the CBI.”
(With PTI inputs)
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