New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today came out all guns blazing against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for his castigating Prime Minster Narendra Modi after the CBI raided the office and residence of Delhi government's Principal Secretary Rajendra Kumar on charges of graft.
Earlier today, Kejriwal, in a series of tweets following the raids, had alleged that his offices had been raided and that his files were being looked into. Kejriwal said that the entire operation was happening at the behest of the Prime Minister, who he claimed was unable to “handle him politically”.
“Modi is a coward and a psychopath,” Kejriwal wrote on Twitter.
Senior BJP leader and Union Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad hauled Kejriwal over the coals over his comments. “The use of the word ‘coward' is totally uncalled for, condemnable and shameful. I expect him being a holder of a constitutional position to tender an unconditional apology to PM Modi for what he has said,” Prasad told reporters today.
The minister further said that the CBI had followed all due procedure while conducting the operation and that all necessary protocol was followed. “Which law states that if the CM's secretary is accused of corruption, the permission of the CM is required to conduct a search? It is only after an arrest that the Speaker of the Rajya Sabha needs to be informed of the arrest and the reason behind it,” Prasad said.
The BJP leader also remarked that the AAP's reactions amounted to a “text book case of hypocrisy and double standards”. Referring to the arrest of another senior official of the central government earlier, Prasad said that the AAP had claimed credit for it. “Now that one of his own officers is in the dock, they are blaming the CBI. How can this be tolerated?” Prasad quipped.
Prasad also took a dig at Kejriwal, questioning his self-proclaimed anti-corruption credentials. “You emerged as an epitome of anti corruption, as you yourself claim…and you are trying to shield an officer under clout only because he is Secretary to the CM of Delhi? Did you not conduct any due diligence prior to the appointment of your Secretary? The way you (AAP) are defending the officer raises questions,” Prasad said, adding that the accusations needed to be probed and that an act of corruption should not be used to talk about an attack on the federal structure.
The Union minister expressed hope that the CBI investigations will not be obstructed as the matter was serious. "The CBI must be allowed to do its job," he said.
