New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday issued a statement on the Supreme Court's observations on the CBI affidavit on coal scam probe.
Citing the SC's observations, the AAP said that the CBI had been used as an instrument by the Government to protect their own people and to "protect/pressurise the leaders of other parties for their political end".
"This again underlines the need for an independent Lokpal and the placing of the CBI under the administrative control of the Lokpal after removing it from the administrative control of the Government," the AAP statement read.
Below is the full text of the AAP statement
The Supreme Court on Wednesday has slammed the Law Minister, officials of Prime Minister's office and Coal Ministry, and the CBI for seeking to see the status report of the coal scam. It has also slammed the CBI Director for allowing these officials to see the report and make changes suggested by them. The court has also observed that these sordid facts as well as the fact relating to other investigation show that the independence of the CBI has been thoroughly compromised and drastic steps need to be taken to ensure the independence of CBI's investigation.
They have asked the government as to whether their bringing any law for securing the independence of CBI from the government in its investigation and they have also indicated that if this was not done very soon the court would be forced to issue direction for that purpose. The court has ordered the bringing back of Mr Ravikant, incharge of this investigation, who has been transferred out of the CBI by the Government back to the CBI for this investigation. They have also ordered that no officer involved in the investigation would be transferred without the permission of the court.
They have also said that they will consider the constitution of an SIT for the Coalgate investigation after watching the progress of the investigation by the next hearing.
The proceedings of this investigations and the behaviour of the CBI Director as well as the Law Minister, Attorney General and officials of Prime Minister's office and Coal Ministry again demonstrate that the CBI has been used as an instrument by the Government to protect their own people and to protect/ pressurise the leaders of other parties for their political end. This again underlines the need for an independent Lokpal and the placing of the CBI under the administrative control of the Lokpal after removing it from the administrative control of the Government.
The position of the Law Minister and the Attorney General has become untenable in view of their repeated false statement and attempts to interfere with investigation. Unfortunately, they are being protected by Prime Minister. This is particularly ominous because of the central role of the Prime Minister in the coal allocation as well as in delaying the law for auctioning the coal blocks.
It appears that efforts at all levels are being and is being made to shield the Prime Minister and that is why he has been reluctant to seek the resignation of those who are interfering with the investigation to protect him.
These observation made by the Supreme Court are a big victory for Aam Aadmi. During July last year, Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai had fasted at Jantar Mantar exposing the coal scam. Aam Aadmi Party demands that the law minister and Attorney General be sacked forthwith and believes that even the PM has lost his moral authority to continue in office.
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