PM Modi using agencies to nullify opposition: Digvijaya Singh

NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh today launched an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging he was trying to "clamp down" on the opposition by using agencies like CBI, NIA and ED as "caged parrots".

Singh, a former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, also accused the government of framing "innocents" in "fake cases".

"Modi is trying to clamp down on the opposition using the tools of CBI, NIA and ED and putting fake cases against them," he said while talking to reporters outside the Patiala House courts complex here.

Singh had come to the court along with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who had appeared with other accused in connection with a disproportionate assets case lodged by the CBI.

"Their own leaders spent over Rs 500 crore in marriages when the demonetisation drive was going on and their own people are involved in terrorism," he said.

"He is framing innocents. The CBI is a caged parrot. Now so are the NIA and ED. The directors are being given extensions as carrots," Digvijaya Singh said.

The Supreme Court, while hearing coal block allocation matters in May 2013, had expressed concern over the Centre's interference in the probe in the scam and had termed the CBI as a "caged parrot".

"It is a sordid saga that there are many masters and one parrot," the apex court had then said, after going through an affidavit filed by the then CBI Director on coal scam probe.