CBI is not 'Cong bureau of investigation': PM

Rejecting BJP charge of government misuing CBI in the Sohrabuddin case, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today expressed the hope that Parliament will function smoothly and discuss important national issues.

Rejecting BJP charge of government misuing CBI in the Sohrabuddin case, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday expressed the hope that Parliament will function smoothly and discuss important national issues.

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"Well, there is no truth in that (BJP charge). The opposition knows it jolly well. This Sohrabuddin case is a Supreme Court-directed investigation. The Central government has no hand in it.

"It has not tried to influence the investigation process in any way. I repeat categorically in any way," Singh told reporters in Parliament House on the first day of the Monsoon Session.

The Prime Minister expressed hope that this session of Parliament will be peaceful and productive.

After the arrest of former Gujarat Minister Amit Shah yesterday in the Soharabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, BJP had accused the CBI of working in a partisan manner by targeting Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh ruled by it, and ignoring the Andhra Pradesh angle in the case as the Congress is in power in that state.

Singh said, "We sincerely hope that this session of Parliament will be peaceful and productive. That Parliament will have the opportunity to debate many important issues of national importance. Government is ready for every piece discussion that the opposition may want.

"We want Parliament to function smoothly. That is what the people of India expect," he said, adding, "We have important pieces of legislation which will come up and Parliament is the appropriate forum for legislation and therfore, I think the views of Parliament, including the members of the Opposition, on all these pieces of legislation will be very much welcome".