Delhi govt officials harassed after CBI raid: Arvind Kejriwal

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today alleged a group of state government officials were summoned by the CBI, whose officers hurled "choicest abuses" at them and threatened to "ruin" their career if they sided with him following last year's raid on his office.

Kejriwal also accused the Narendra Modi government of using the CBI to "silence" those who raise their voice against it.

"The raid took place on December 15, but what happened after that was more dangerous. From December 15 to mid-april, the CBI summoned around 150 officers without giving notice. theyh would only call and ask them to come to the CBI office. (Since) officers don't want to get entangled (with CBI), they would come and tell me the CBI has summoned.

"They would call them, make them wait for two hours and then call them inside. They would hurl choicest abuses at the officers and threated to ruin their career. They would ask them who comes to meet the CM? Who prepares his minutes, who prepares his noting? Is this the work of CBI?" he said.

Kejriwal claimed Delhi government officials were asked to "leave the side of the Chief Minister" or face consequences like Rajendra Kumar, his Principal Secretary, whose office in the CM's Secretariat was raided by the CBI.

"They have threatened many officers, but they could achieve nothing," Kejriwal said, participating in a panel discussion on 'CBI X-Rayed' organised by Delhi Administration Officers' Academic Forum.

CBI had raided his office premises over charges of corruption against Kumar, but Kejriwal claimed "I was the real target".

Kejriwal claimed if CBI officers try to act freely in an unbiased manner, they are shunted out.

"The officers know that if they show some independence then tomorrow they will be transferred out...it has happened so many times," Kejriwal said.