Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today questioned the "fairness" of CBI and accused the NDA government of posting police officers from Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the country's premier investigating agency.
Targeting the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which had recently registered a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) against him and his family members relating to a disproportionate assets case, Singh said, "Only this morning, I have learnt (from newspapers), that five-six police officers from Gujarat have been posted in the CBI."
There has been complete revamp of the CBI's set-up by the NDA government and how can you expect fair investigations from the agency, he asked.
Asked about the move of the government to seek CBI probe into assets of former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, Singh directly attacked the agency and said that under the present circumstance he was not in favour of transferring Dhumal's case to the CBI.
"We have the whole list of his properties within and outside the state and will release it soon to the media and also decide the next course of action," he said.
Referring to his own case, the chief minister said that "the CBI had investigated the so-called charges against me and its report gave me a clean chit but now on the same charges, the CBI has started a fresh probe and registered a PE".
"I am not afraid of such tactics by the CBI at the behest of the NDA government," he added.
Singh also raised questions on the orders of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) banning all commercial activities at Rohtang Pass and appealed to the tribunal to take a humanitarian view of the prevailing situation at Rohtang.
"The pass is of strategic importance as the same road also connects Leh-Ladakh," he said and asked "who will take care of the people across Rohtang".
He said the state government will present its views effectively before the tribunal and ensure that the issue was resolved without much fuss.
However, the Chief Minister categorically said that no body should try to doubt his commitment to preservation of environment not alone Rohtang Pass but in the entire state.
"I had imposed complete ban on felling of trees and stopped felling of green trees even for wooden boxes for marketing of apple and a complete ban has been imposed on use of polythene bags in the state... These steps show our commitment to preservation of environment and ecology," the chief minister said.
