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Telangana withdraws general consent to CBI
The Telangana government has withdrawn the general consent given to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register and investigate cases in the state, joining eight other states that have revoked the blanket nod to the agency
The Telangana government has withdrawn the general consent given to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register and investigate cases in the state, joining eight other states that have revoked the blanket nod to the agency.
The order was issued on August 30 and came to light on Saturday during proceedings in a case linked to the alleged poaching attempt on four Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MLAs last week.
The TRS has alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tried to poach four of its MLAs ahead of the November 3 bypoll in Munugode. On Wednesday last week, three people were held from a farmhouse near Hyderabad allegedly while they were trying to lure the MLAs with cash, lucrative contracts and positions. On Saturday, the three were remanded into judicial custody for two weeks.
The controversy had prompted a sharp reaction from the ruling party which claimed that the BJP was trying to “bring down” the government led by TRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao. The BJP had hit back calling Wednesday’s raid and detentions “stage-managed”.
The saffron party moved the high court on seeking that the case be transferred to the CBI.
Appearing for the state government on Saturday, additional advocate general Ramachandra Rao informed the court that the general consent given to the agency has been withdrawn.
“The government here withdraws all previous general consents issued by the state government under section-6 of the Delhi Police Establishment Act, 1946, vide any letters and notifications issued including notification issued on 25.09.2016 to all members of Delhi Police Establishment Act to exercise the powers and jurisdiction under the state Act in the state of Telangana,” states the August 30 order.
Before Telangana, eight states, including West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, have withdrawn general consent to CBI. Maharashtra had also withdrawn consent but later revoked the order.
Opposition parties have been accusing the BJP -led government of using central investigative agencies against its political opponents, a charge the saffron party has refuted several times saying the agencies were working in a “fair” manner.
The order by Telangana government comes at the time when the BJP is trying to make inroads into Telangana, where the TRS has been in power since the state was formed in 2014. Assembly elections are due in Telangana in October-November 2023.
CM Rao has already announced his ambitions to expand the party into a national presence by rechristening the TRS into the Bharat Rashtra Samiti. He has said he will be looking at a “non-Congress” and “non-BJP” alliance of opposition parties to take on the BJP-led NDA government, but nothing concrete has emerged so far.
The BJP had also alleged the involvement of Rao’s daughter Kavitha in the Delhi excise policy controversy, which is being probed by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
KCR hits out over ‘MLA poaching attempt’
Meanwhile, CM Rao on Sunday accused the BJP of “trying to buy” 20-30 TRS MLAsand topple his government and claimed that “brokers” from Delhi offered the sitting legislators ₹100 crore each.
Addressing a poll rally at bypoll-bound Munugode segment, Rao said, however, the legislators, who are “sons of the soil”, rebuffed the offer.
“Four sons of soil (MLAs) came with me (today for the meeting). Day before yesterday some Delhi brokers came to buy our Telangana’s self-respect and offered ₹100 crore....” the CM said.
Rao sought a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on whether such things were good for society.
“Who provided ₹100 crore that was offered to the MLAs? Inquiry has to be done into this. Who is behind the issue? Are they (whoever masterminded the issue) entitled to continue in their respective posts?” Rao asked.
(With PTI inputs)
