HC refuses to pass order as similar petition is pending in Apex Court
New Delhi : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has declared that he would request Supreme Court to order a CBI enquiry into the Vyapam scam.
The CM made the announcement after the High Court refused to pass any order on the request stating that a similar petition was pending in Supreme Court. The apex court is slated to hear several petitions on the issue on Thursday.
The chief minister was in the national capital where he met external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj. The visit assumed significance as it was seen as a political move to convey that Shivraj was ready to play on the front foot and not get
defensive over the charges. Party insiders felt that Chauhan’s move was as much a message to the BJP leadership as the opposition and the public.
In an attempt to take the wind out of the Congress sails, the BJP and CM Chauhan have been stressing that they are open to any probe which the court may deem fit. The announcement to go in for a CBI enquiry was also a calculated move aimed at avoiding any embarrassment in the court and outside. However, the Congress is sticking to the demand of a SC monitored investigation much on the lines of the 2G scam probe.
Continuing his tirade against the Congress for its campaign, Shivraj said he was not going to cow down to forces which were hell bent on bringing disrepute to the state.
‘‘They tried to burn me in their palace of lies but failed,’’ he remarked.
Meanwhile, BJP sources claimed that with the willingness shown by the MP CM for a CBI enquiry, they could now snatch a potent weapon from the Congress, which wanted to put the Centre on the mat in the forthcoming Parliament session. This may bring some respite to the Modi government and the BJP floor managers even as the party is gearing up for what could perhaps be a washout session.
Besides the Lalitgate revelations, the government would also be cornered on its refusal to make the caste census public and on the rice scandal of Chhatisgarh CM Raman Singh.
