New Delhi: Criticising Congress leader Digvijay Singh’s “unwarranted advice” to the judiciary, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley today said the motivation behind his criticism was the “frustration of a loser”.
Jaitley said the “ill-advised” suggestion made to the judiciary by Singh has come when corruption of UPA government is being investigated by CBI and monitored by the Supreme Court and did not come when the SC had ordered monitoring of Gujarat riots cases.
“The likes of Digvijay Singh welcomed that monitoring. It is only when the corruption of the UPA government is being investigated by CBI and monitored by the Supreme Court that monitoring of investigation is now being termed as constitutionally unacceptable. Such arguments of convenience have very little place in a meaningful public discourse,” Jaitley said in an article.
He was commenting on Singh’s reacton to the apex court’s stinging criticism of CBI for the vetting of probe report on coal mines allocation scam.
Defending the Supreme Court comments on CBI, Jaitley said the same have come after government did not succeed in enacting a Lokpal and liberate CBI and has been “slow and reluctant” to do so.
“CBI gets belittled when it bends before to political pressure and conducts a pliable investigation. On the contrary, when the court discovered this pathetic plight of CBI, its investigation had to be monitored.
“The delinquent minister had to resign. The officials are still struggling for what reply to give. The government is nervous. The order of the court has indicated that either the government prepares a legislative plan to insulate CBI or the court could issue specific guidelines…If CBI is made more independent, it does not get belittled. On the contrary, it is strengthened,” Jaitley said.
The opposition leader said “the agency has been misused against political rivals. The agency has been used to pacify leaders of Samajwadi Party and BSP in order to contribute to the longevity of the government. The relationship between CBI, the government and the ruling party has become too close for comfort.”