Arun Jaitley calls GoM recommendations on autonomy for CBI as a “farce”

BJP has termed the GoM recommendations on autonomy for CBI as a “farce” and a “remedy worse than the existing problem”.

Writing in a blog, BJP leader Arun Jaitley said the GoM’s recommendations, which formed part of a government affidavit in the Supreme Court, made CBI only accountable to a panel of retired judges, who themselves were not accountable to anyone. He says the cause of autonomy would have been better served if the recommendations of the parliamentary panel going into the Lokpal bill had been taken on board.

The recommendations included separation of CBI’s prosecution and investigation wing, a collegium system for the appointment of director and a prescriptive rule about post-retirement government sinecures for ex-directors. “The entire package of arrangement would have ensured the appointment of a director by an independent process, separation of a directorate of prosecution which would function on an independent basis rather than just be an officer on deputation from the law ministry,” he said in his blog.