No need to withdraw general consent to CBI: Tamil Nadu CM

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Tuesday said there was no need for withdrawing the general consent given to the CBI to probe cases in the state like some others including Kerala, but said such a move may be considered if the need arises.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Tuesday said there was no need for withdrawing the general consent given to the CBI to probe cases in the state like some others including Kerala, but said such a move may be considered if the need arises. Speaking to reporters after a COVID-19 review meeting here, he said the situation differed from state to state.

"Every state has its own demand (on this issue). There is no need for us to follow other states.

In case, if such a situation arises we shall consider it then," he said when his attention was drawn to Kerala's recent decision to withdraw the general consent accorded to the CBI to operate there. Presently, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the death of two traders in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin district following alleged police assault at Sathankulam police station.

Non-BJP ruled states including West Bengal and Maharashtra had withdrawn the general consent, with Congress headed Punjab the latest to join the list. On the pandemic, the chief minister said though coronavirus cases declined across Tamil Nadu, he has directed the officials to continue to maintain a strict vigil in the border districts.

"As Kerala has been registering a spike in COVID-19 cases, I have instructed the officials to screen all those entering Kanyakumari district from Kerala," he said. To a question on reopening of schools,he said the officials have begun consulting school administration and parents seeking a general consensus on reopening and the date will be announced after the outcome of the consultation is made known.

To a question on a Sri Lankan court directing 'destroying' about 121 confiscated boats belonging to Indian fishermen from the state, he said the order applied to boats that had developed snags. "Our fishermen have brought boats that are in good condition," he said.

Meanwhile, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar said efforts were made to auction the boats in Sri Lanka and a committee formed for this purpose, but the officials could not travel to the island nation due to the lockdown. The Indian High Commission there has been requested, through the External Affairs Ministry, to oversee the auctioning and send the proceeds to the Tamil Nadu government so as to disburse the money among fishermen concerned and assist them, he said in a statement.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)