BJP says CBI probe announcement a privilege issue

NEW DELHI: Objecting to the Defence Minister announcing a CBI probe into Army Chief's bribery allegation outside Parliament, the BJP today said it is a privilege issue as the government did not take the House into confidence.

"Government did not take the House into confidence while ordering CBI probe into Army Chief's allegations....Parliament is in session," BJP MP Balbir Punj told reporters outside Parliament.

The government ordered a CBI inquiry into the allegation made by Army Chief Gen V K Singh that he was offered a Rs 14 crore bribe by a lobbyist.

"This morning, the Rajya Sabha question hour could not be taken up because MPs were agitated over a statement of the army chief made in an interview to a daily that he was offered a bribe of Rs 14 crore and he brought the incident to knowledge of Defence Minister.

"The House was adjourned and when the House reassembled we came to know from the media that CBI inquiry has been ordered. This involves privilege of the House. Instead of taking Parliament and country into confidence, you (government) are secretly leaking out information to media without owning it," Punj said.