There may be constitutional breakdown in West Bengal: Rajnath Singh
CBI in its petition says Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar was summoned multiple times but failed to cooperate and created hurdles in the investigation.
In the wake of the Kolkata Police-CBI face-off, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said there may be a constitutional breakdown in West Bengal.
Amidst din in the Lok Sabha, he asserted that the Centre has power to take action.
He also termed as "unprecedented" the move to stop the probe agency from performing its duty. An all-out war broke out between the Centre and the Mamata Banerjee government on Sunday over the CBI's attempt to question the Kolkata Police commissioner in connection with chit fund scams.
Making a statement in Lok Sabha on the prevailing situation in Kolkata, Singh described the action against the CBI probe team, which went to question Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar, as "unprecedented" and a threat to the federal political system of the country.
"There may be constitutional breakdown in West Bengal...under the Constitution, the central government has been vested with the power to maintain normalcy in any part of the country," he said.
Earlier, opposition parties in Lok Sabha attacked the government over the alleged misuse of central agencies against political rivals, saying it was against democratic norms.
Members from Trinamool Congress, Biju Janata Dal, NCP and Samajwadi Party spoke against the CBI move to question the Kolkata police chief.
A CPI-M member said both the Trinamool Congress and the Centre were at fault.
As soon as the House took up Zero Hour, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan allowed members to raise the issue.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Lok Sabha adjourned till 2pm following an uproar by opposition parties over yesterday's incident in West Bengal
- P Javadekar: Whatever is happening in Kolkata&WB is one of a kind. Never before was an investigating team taken into custody by police. It's murder of democracy. We want to ask Mamata Banerjee why is she staging dharna, who does she want to shield? Police Commissioner or herself?
- Union Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh in Parliament: It will be best if the states function under the ambit the Constitution else they should keep Article 356 (President's rule) in mind
- Ministry of Home Affairs to seek a report on the role of IPS officers on allegations of obstructing investigation and violation of Service Conduct Rules in yesterday's incident in Kolkata
- Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena: If CM of a big state as WB,is sitting on dharna, then it is a serious matter. Is this CBI vs Mamata Banerjee or Mamata Banerjee vs BJP, we'll find out soon. If CBI is being misused, it's a matter of dignity of the nation, and prestige of the agency (CBI).
- There was CBI row, centre was scared of a CBI director, now they are trying to scare everyone using CBI. Who has misused the institutions? If someone has politicised the institutions, it is BJP: Akhilesh Yadav
- Ghulam Nabi Azad,Congress: From the day BJP has come to power at the Centre, they have paid very less attention towards working for the country but towards eliminating opposition parties, this has been their focus for the past 5 years.There is no other party more corrupt than BJP
- Farooq Abdullah, National Conference on CBI issue in West Bengal: Her (Mamata Banerjee) allegation is right. This country is in danger as its becoming dictatorial. They (Central govt) are not masters of this country, people are
- Former PM & JDS leader HD Deve Gowda: CBI went to arrest Kolkata Police Commissioner y'day, this is a misuse of CBI. It is much worse than Emergency. The way the events have unfolded (in West Bengal)since last night shows the PM has overacted by using the CBI. This won't help him
- Hearing on CBI plea in SC: CJI Gogoi says, "If Kolkata Police Commissioner even remotely thinks of destroying evidence, bring the material before this Court. We will come down so heavily on him that he will regret."
- SC to hear agency's petition in the case tomorrow
- Solicitor General Tushar Mehta representing CBI submits before Supreme Court, 'Our team was arrested and kept in alleged custody. Kolkata Police Commissioner should immediately surrender."
- We have spoken to all opposition parties, we all will go forward. We have to save the Constitution, the country and the federal structure. Later today, all opposition parties will go to the Election Commission: Derek O'Brien, TMC
- CBI in its petition says Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar was summoned multiple times but failed to cooperate and created hurdles in the investigation
WATCH VIDEO: Action was taken after SC had ordered investigation into Saradha chit fund case: Rajnath Singh
(With inputs from agencies)