CBI
raids on Stalin
Govt denial of hand amounts to confession
CBI raids as part of political vendetta or to rein in recalcitrant political leaders of
the ruling party's own men or those opposing it, are not something new in this
country. It also speaks volumes for the independence and impartiality of the
prime investigating agency of the country. Also recall the Income Tax Department raids on
the premises of business concerns run by the former BJP national President
Nitin Gadkari on January 22 this year, a
day before he was scheduled to file his nominations for another term of office paving
the way for his unopposed election.
The latest has been the CBI raiding the residence of DMK leader and DMK supremo M. Karunanidhi's
son, M. K. Stalin, within 48 hours of the party having withdrawn its support to
the UPA government. Stalin had been named Karunanidhi's heir only a few days
back. It is also no longer a secret that Stalin was the architect of the DMK
decision to withdraw support from UPA government. CBI did explain that it was a
part of the routine raids in connection with luxury car duty fraud and that the
timing became just a coincidence and embarrassment for the ruling party.
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was quick to condemn the
raids. Finance Minister P. Chidambaram who represents this area claimed that he
and the government had "no role" in the raids. Yet, at the same time,
the raids were stopped at the instance of the government. If the raids were not
organized on orders of the Manmohan government, how could these be stopped on
their orders? If the prime investigating agency of the country is independent
and impartial which does not seek directions from government in its functions
and brooks no interference, why did it make exception this time halting the
raids and the process of investigation under government orders?
A significant point was raised by the Leader of Opposition
in Rajya Sabha. "Merely because it has a political fallout, it is improper
for any Prime Minister or a finance minister", said Jailtley, "to so
blatantly interfere in the functioning of CBI and cripple it from carrying on
its routine investigations". If the searches were routine and the CBI was
an independent body, it should have been allowed to carry out their routine
investigations of their own and not interfered merely because there was a "political fallout" of
their action, he said.
One newspaper report has come out with a funny explanation: CBI
did not know that it was Stalin's residence.
It is on record that the CBI had been taking contradictory
stands in courts on criminal cases of assets beyond known sources of income
against Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party chief
Sushri Mayawati and Rashtriya Janata Dal President Lalu Prasad Yadav hanging
fire at various stages in various courts. The pendulum of CBI stand has been
tilting with the stand of these parties towards the ruling UPA government. At
times, CBI had to face embarrassment in courts on this issue.
Whatever it is, the
CBI raids on the residence of M. K. Stalin have definitely given out a message
loud and clear both to the UPA partners, supporters from outside and even to
the opponents. 