Opposition supports SC decision in Alok Verma's case; flays BJP leadership

Several opposition parties Tuesday hailed the Supreme Court order reinstating CBI Director Alok Verma, with the Congress saying it was a "slap" on the Modi government for "illegally" transferring him. The apex court Tuesday reinstated Verma, setting aside the Centre's decision to divest him of his powers, but restrained him from taking any major policy decision till the CVC probe into corruption charges against him is over.

Welcoming the order, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said "some justice" has been done and now Prime Minister Narendra Modi cannot run away from an investigation into the Rafale deal and "no one can save the prime minister". Verma was ousted in the middle of the night as he was initiating a probe into the Rafale deal, and now no one can save Modi from investigation and the entire nation will know "without a shadow of doubt" that he has taken Rs 30,000 crore of people's money and given it to his "friend" Anil Ambani, he said.

"The CBI chief was ousted at 1 am in the night because he was about to begin a probe into the Rafale deal. The CBI chief has been reinstated and some justice has been done. Now let's see what happens," Gandhi told reporters. The CPI-M has demanded Modi's resignation, while the Aam Aadmi Party, PDP, Rashtriya Janata Dal and other parties said it is an "indictment" of the Modi government.

However, BJP leader and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley described the Supreme Court's verdict as “balanced". The decision by the government was completely legal as the two officers in question were at loggerheads, Jaitley said, adding that it sent two senior CBI officers - Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana on leave on CVC's recommendation. The Centre's decision to send Verma and Asthana on leave was based on CVC's recommendation was "perfectly bonafide" and that it was done to protect the integrity of the agency, Jaitley said.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury demanded that the prime minister quit on moral grounds as the verdict was a "direct indictment of Modi and his office". "Will he take responsibility for this blatantly illegal act? If he has any moral conscience he should quit. Accountability, anyone or is it just jumlas?" Yechury asked on Twitter. "No other govt in independent India has tried to kill institutions the way (the) Modi government has because it is scared of its massive corruption, cronyism and illegalities at the very top being caught out," he tweeted.

The AAP Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court order reinstating Verma, with party chief Arvind Kejriwal asserting that it was a "direct indictment" of Modi. "SC reinstating CBI director Alok Verma is a direct indictment of the PM. Modi govt has ruined all institutions and democracy in our country. "Wasn't CBI director illegally removed at midnight to stall the probe in Rafale scam which directly leads to PM himself?," the Delhi chief minister tweeted.

"Modi govt has ruined all institutions and democracy in our country. Wasn't CBI director illegally removed at midnight to stall the probe in Rafale scam which directly leads to PM himself?" the AAP chief asked on Twitter. Congress' Randeep Surjewala said the decision of the Supreme Court restoring Verma as CBI director and quashing the "illegal and conspiratorial" decision of the Centre "is a slap on the policies and autocratic decisions of Modi government".

His party colleague, Mallikarjun Kharge, who is also part of the high-powered committee said the order was a lesson for the government. "We're not against one individual and welcome the SC's judgement... Today, you'll use these agencies to put pressure on people, tomorrow somebody else will, What will happen to democracy then?" Kharge asked while speaking to reporters outside Parliament. Welcoming the court's decision, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti said it had restored faith in the independence of institutions.

"(It) reinstates belief in independent institutions of our democracy that are its pillars," Mehbooba said in a tweet, asking the Centre to now stop "misusing" probe agencies like the CBI and the NIA for political ends. "Time for the Central gov to stop misusing its influence to arm-twist investigative agencies like (the) NIA and CBI for political vendetta," she added. Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj Jha described the order as a "big slap" on the face of the government. Delivering its order, the apex court said any further decision against Verma would be taken by the high-powered committee which selects and appoints the CBI director.

Surjewala alleged that it was now clear that BJP and Modi were scared of a possible probe into the Rafale deal and the prime minister and his government panicked and in the middle of the night had illegally removed the CBI Director. "Supreme Court has today blown the lid of a concerted conspiracy hatched by PM Modi and his government to remove the CBI Director in the middle of the night," he said. He dubbed Prime Minister Modi as one who stood for “Muzzling of Democratic Institutions (MODI) and asked whether this was his model of ‘minimum governance, maximum government’.

(With inputs from agencies.)