Chennai, Dec 10: Strongly advocating bringing CBI under the ambit of the Lokpal bill, Team Anna member Kiran Bedi today alleged the agency was not independent and said a third phase of agitation by the civil society on the anti-graft legislation was ‘inevitable'.
CBI officials were appointed by the government and could be removed by it. They were investigating the government.
“Isn't there a conflict of interest?..That's why it took so long (to file cases) in 2G, Commonwealth (scams),” the former IPS officer said at the India Today Youth Summit here.
“Many policy decisions go to the PMO's door step..This CBI is not independent,” she said adding “I think the third phase of agitation is inevitable.”
Bedi also pitched for doing away with preliminary probe in corruption cases where evidence was available and cited the instance of former telecom minister Sukh Ram, from whose residence huge amount of cash was seized.
Asked why Team Anna has not compromised on certain provisions of the government proposed Lokpal bill, she said, “Is there a compromise in shedding corruption? What is the kind of compromise we are looking at? So what do you want status quo or change?”
Referring to Parliamentarians, she said, “Do you know more than 70 people in the Lok Sabha have criminal records? It is 110 people, if you combine Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha”.
