Mounting its attack at the Centre over its move to issue ordinances by which the tenures of CBI and ED directors could be further extended, the Congress party called upon the opposition parties to approach the Supreme Court against the government’s move.
Citing Supreme Court’s 1998 Jain Havala case verdict, Congress leader Manish Tewari termed the ordinances illegal.
“This ordinance is illegal, it contradicts Supreme Court’s 1998 Jain Havala case verdict in which the court announced CBI, ED directors’ tenure as two years so that the government at Centre didn’t force the two agencies into any wrongdoing,” he said.
“This ordinance is a message to officers that if we (Centre) have appointed you and if you keep working as per our orders, keep harassing the opposition, your tenure will be increased year after year. All parties should approach SC jointly on it,” he added.
The Centre on Sunday brought in two ordinances by which the tenures of Directors of the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate can now be extended by up to three years after the mandated term of two years.
Reacting to the development, Congress’ chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on Sunday alleged that the government has used the two agencies as “henchmen” who are now being rewarded so that “malicious prosecution” is used to silence dissenting voices.
“In Modi Govt, the real description of ED-CBI is -: ED = Election Department! CBI = Compromised Bureau of Investigation!” Surjewala tweeted.
Another senior Congress leader and spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi tweeted, “Double whammy re 5 yr tenures for misused agency heads. Ordinance Raj, the favourite route of the Modi govt, bypasses parliamentary scrutiny 14 days before parliament meets. Extensions per se frowned upon by apex Court.”
Earlier today, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi slammed the Congress for its criticism and said those who do such “negative and destructive politics” only harm themselves.
