Opposition slams move to extend the terms of ED, CBI ahead of parliament meet
Congress secretary Pranav Jha said the ordinances to extend the terms of ED, CBI chiefs “to suit individuals is not just tragic institutional travesty but a blatant affront to the Judiciary, Parliament as well as the Bureaucracy”.
Opposition parties on Sunday hit out at the Centre over its two ordinances to extend the tenure of directors of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The Congress said the government has used the two agencies as “henchmen” who are now being rewarded so that “malicious prosecution” is used to silence dissenting voices.
“Modi Govt uses ED-CBI as henchmen to usurp power & destabilise elected Govts. Raids by ED, CBI on the Opposition leaders has become a norm. Now, these henchmen are being empowered & rewarded with 5 yrs tenure, so that malicious prosecution is used to silence dissenting voices,” Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said.
With the two ordinances — or executive route for enacting laws — coming just two weeks ahead of the winter session of Parliament, Congress’ Rajya Sabha member Abhishek Singhvi said: “Double whammy regarding 5 yr tenures for misused agency heads. Ordinance Raj, the favourite route of the Modi govt, bypasses Parliament scrutiny 14 days before Parliament meets.”
Singhvi, in his tweet, reminded that “extensions per se frowned upon by apex court. Fresh new appointments not extensions under new Parliament Act not Ordinance should have been done”.
Congress secretary Pranav Jha said the ordinances “to suit individuals is not just tragic institutional travesty but a blatant affront to the Judiciary, Parliament as well as the Bureaucracy”.
Trinamool Congress’s Derek O’Brien said the ordinances were brought to “mock” Parliament. “How Modi-Shah’s BJP mock #Parliament and shamelessly use Ordinances. Same stunt repeated today to keep their pet parrots ParrotParrotin ED and CBI,” he tweeted.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury dubbed the move as “fishy”. “Parliament session begins on 29th. To avoid its scrutiny, Centre on Sunday promulgates ordinances to extend the tenure of Directors of CBI and ED. This desperate hurry smacks of something fishy.”
