New Delhi: Accusing Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge of dissenting excessively, Union minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday said he has made the appointment of CBI director look like a political battle which was never envisaged. Kharge on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi giving his dissent on the appointment of new CBI Director Rishi Kumar Shukla, alleging that the officer did not have experience in handling anti-corruption cases and the criterion for selection was diluted in violation of law and Supreme Court judgements.
In a blog, Jaitley said the leader of the largest party in Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Kharge, “dissented once again” in the appointment of the new CBI Director. “Kharge dissents regularly,” the minister said. Jaitley recalled the Congress leader dissented when Alok Verma was appointed CBI Director, dissented when Verma was transferred and has now dissented when Shukla has been appointed. Facing criticism for giving a ‘jobless economic growth’, Jaitley said the absence of any major social or political agitation in the last five years indicates government schemes have created employment.
In an interview to PTI, Jaitley, who is here for medical treatment, justified the absence of any major mention of job creation in the Interim Budget presented on February 1, saying such budgets are different from the normal budget speeches as they are more like “a report card and a road map.”
He also slammed Congress President Rahul Gandhi for ridiculing the scheme announced in the Interim Budget for 2019-20 by equating it to Rs 17 a day dole, saying the opposition leader must “grow up” and realise that he is contesting a national election and not a college union poll.
“This is the first year where it (farmer income support scheme) has begun. I am sure as the government resources improve, this can be increased,” he said.m Jaitley said his medical treatment at a US hospital is all over but hinted that he may not return to India in time to reply to the debate on Interim Budget in Parliament.
