Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for misusing the Central Bureau of Investigation, saying not all could be cowed down as easily as Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.
In his tweet late yesterday, he wrote that PM Modi shouldn’t force the Opposition into coming on board with demonetisation by using tactics like “submission through CBI”.
CM Kejriwal’s tweet was in reference to another tweet by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee as both have found much common ground lately against the demonetisation drive. Both have also been arguably the harshest critics of the government’s demonetisation drive.
In her post, Banerjee had accused BJP of indulging in "vendetta politics", claiming the TMC Lok Sabha leader was called thrice by the CBI.
"Nothing will deter us from fight against #DeMonetisation," she added.
Mamata later thanked Kejriwal for his "support". "Many thanks Arvind," she tweeted. The duo have been at the forefront after the PM announced scrapping of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes on November 8.
The reference to Rahul Gandhi by Kejriwal is not one-off. Ever since the Congress vice-president announced that he had “proof” of PM Modi’s personal involvement in corruption relating to ‘demonetisation’, Kejriwal has been needling him to disclose the alleged “proof” of PM mod’s “wrongdoings”.
The BJP, however, said there's no vendetta politics. It asked why the TMC was up in arms about a CBI investigation if it has done no wrong, PTI reported.
"The CBI is an autonomous body. Bandopadhyay should cooperate with CBI investigation. It is TMC's duty to do so. Instead of crying vendetta politics to gain sympathy, the party should cooperate with the probe," BJP national secretary Siddharth Nath Singh said, according to PTI.
Last week, Banerjee called the scrapping of high-value notes a "major catastrophe" and a "major setback for employees since independence."
Earlier yesterday, CM Kejriwal had alleged that demonetisation decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aimed at helping business houses and castigated Congress, saying the main opposition party lacks courage to take on the PM.
“BJP and Congress are like husband and wife. Each after one term of five years gives way for the other to rule,” the Delhi Chief Minister had told a gathering in Bhopal.
Kejriwal tweeted to also say that Modi should first make sure the BJP accepts cashless donations before it "forces others" to do so.
"Beggars should accept cashless support, confectioner should accept cashless payment, urinals should be paid in cashless, but pay BJP in cash, old notes will also do," Kejriwal tweeted snarkily in Hindi.
