Did he have Mulayam case in mind?
‘Rahul talk’ in Lok Sabha came a day after CBI blatantly admitted before the Supreme Court that it was seeking to soften the course of investigations against Mulayam Singh Yadav in the disproportionate assets case following directions from the Cen...
By C L Manoj, ET Bureau |
NEW DELHI: AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi���s forceful appeal in the Lok Sabha against political interference in the functioning of investigating agencies triggered thumping of desks by Congress MPs. But it has alerted politically-tuned Congress circles as ���Rahul talk��� came a day after CBI blatantly admitted before the Supreme Court that it was seeking to soften the course of investigations against Mulayam Singh Yadav in the disproportionate assets case following directions from the Centre.
Was Rahul���s remark a ���well-meaning���, ���innocent understanding��� of the way the political system operated in New Delhi or was he subtly distancing himself from the UPA regime���s direction to CBI? This was the question several Congress leaders were privately asking after Mr Gandhi finished his speech. The politically loaded direction given by the Centre to CBI is seen as crucial to the future of Congress-SP alliance talks.
Mr Gandhi is part of the designated Congress team that has been holding seat-sharing talks with SP representatives. Mr Gandhi���s Lok Sabha speech appeared designed to identify himself with the post-Mumbai public sentiment as he underlined the need to make the investigating agencies and policing efficient by making them well-equipped, professionally managed and independent from political interference.
Mr Gandhi disapproved with political interference in the functioning of investigating agencies: ���There is tendency for politically interference with the forces. Politicians often interfere with the functioning of the police in their functioning, for getting transfers and appointments. In the interest of civil society we must desist from doing
this.���
The timing of Rahul���s call to make investigating agencies politics-proof is glaring, given what CBI told the apex court on Wednesday. Seeking to withdraw its earlier submission ��� requesting the Supreme Courts��� nod to lodge a regular case against the Mulayam family in the disproportionate case ��� CBI told the apex court: ���Representations were received from respondents (the Yadav family) and legal advise was sought. In view of the legal advice and directions of the Union of India, the interlocutory application filed by the CBI may be withdrawn.���
The CBI U-turn did not come as a surprise as SP representatives, according to sources in the ruling side, had been repeatedly pressing on the Congress brass for letting Mr Yadav off the case.
The Congress-SP talks subsequently got almost stalled, apparently over seat-sharing formula, but the political demand on Mulayam case has been not an easy for the Congress to deal with, given the fact that the investigations is being directly monitored by the apex court. The CBI���s latest move seems to be indicating the direction of thinking at the top, unless Mr Gandhi���s speech was meant to give another twist to the tail.
Was Rahul���s remark a ���well-meaning���, ���innocent understanding��� of the way the political system operated in New Delhi or was he subtly distancing himself from the UPA regime���s direction to CBI? This was the question several Congress leaders were privately asking after Mr Gandhi finished his speech. The politically loaded direction given by the Centre to CBI is seen as crucial to the future of Congress-SP alliance talks.
Mr Gandhi is part of the designated Congress team that has been holding seat-sharing talks with SP representatives. Mr Gandhi���s Lok Sabha speech appeared designed to identify himself with the post-Mumbai public sentiment as he underlined the need to make the investigating agencies and policing efficient by making them well-equipped, professionally managed and independent from political interference.
Mr Gandhi disapproved with political interference in the functioning of investigating agencies: ���There is tendency for politically interference with the forces. Politicians often interfere with the functioning of the police in their functioning, for getting transfers and appointments. In the interest of civil society we must desist from doing
this.���
The timing of Rahul���s call to make investigating agencies politics-proof is glaring, given what CBI told the apex court on Wednesday. Seeking to withdraw its earlier submission ��� requesting the Supreme Courts��� nod to lodge a regular case against the Mulayam family in the disproportionate case ��� CBI told the apex court: ���Representations were received from respondents (the Yadav family) and legal advise was sought. In view of the legal advice and directions of the Union of India, the interlocutory application filed by the CBI may be withdrawn.���
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The transparent wording of the CBI application has hit the bottom of what almost all central governments have been routinely asserting with little conviction: ���CBI is an independent investigating agency.��� BJP leaders have been, of late, dubbing CBI as ���Congress Bureau of Investigation,��� whenever it made questionable moves in various high-profile cases involving senior leaders of the UPA.The CBI U-turn did not come as a surprise as SP representatives, according to sources in the ruling side, had been repeatedly pressing on the Congress brass for letting Mr Yadav off the case.
The Congress-SP talks subsequently got almost stalled, apparently over seat-sharing formula, but the political demand on Mulayam case has been not an easy for the Congress to deal with, given the fact that the investigations is being directly monitored by the apex court. The CBI���s latest move seems to be indicating the direction of thinking at the top, unless Mr Gandhi���s speech was meant to give another twist to the tail.
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