New Delhi, Jan 13
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi with destroying key institutions to cover up the "Rafale scam" following reports of Supreme Court judge A.K. Sikri, who sided with the government to remove CBI Director Alok Verma, being nominated to the Commonwealth Tribunal.
According to sources, Justice Sikri was nominated by the Modi government to the prestigious post of President/ Member of the London-based Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal (CSAT).
CSAT is the final adjudicator of disputes arising out of contracts entered into by or on behalf of the Commonwealth Secretariat. After reports of his nomination emerged, Justice Sikri declined his "consent" for the post.
Reacting to the development, Gandhi tweeted: "When the scales of justice are tampered with, anarchy reigns."
"This Prime Minister will stop at nothing, stoop to anything and destroy everything, to cover up the Rafale Scam. He's driven by fear. It's this fear that is making him corrupt and destroy key institutions," said Gandhi tagging a media report about the post-retirement offer to the Supreme Court judge.
Sikri was part of the Selection Committee including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge that on Thursday decided 2:1 to remove CBI chief Verma from the post. Kharge gave a dissenting note and opposed Verma's ouster.
Congress demands CVC Chowdary's removal
The Congress on Sunday demanded the immediate removal of Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) K. V. Chowdary for being a "puppet" of the Narendra Modi government and "carrying out hatchet jobs" for it including the removal of CBI Director Alok Verma.
With the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led panel shunting out Verma on the basis of an adverse report by the CVC, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi alleged that Chowdary was acting as the "ambassador" of CBI special Director Rakesh Asthana who had levelled corruption allegations against Verma.
"A collaborator for violating the Constitution, the CVC, must go. He is acting as an ambassador for Asthana, it is clear that he is acting as an agent and messenger for the government, to do hatchet jobs.
"It is clear that after acting as an ambassador, after lobbying for Asthana, doing advocacy for him, the CVC is writing a report which is the entire basis for the committee's decision," said Singhvi.
He said the Modi-led Selection Committee removed Verma based on charges by Asthana, against whom the Delhi High Court recently refused to quash an FIR.
"The CVC has forgotten that he has to be vigilant for public interest, he has to be vigilant for the nation, he doesn't have to be vigilant for Asthana, he does not have to be a puppet, a vigilant puppet, in the hands of his political masters who want Asthana in that place," said Singhvi.
"The question arises, at whose behest was the CVC acting? None except the top two people in this country, who rule this country dictatorially," the Congress leader said in an apparent reference to Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.
"These master puppeteers can only be doing it to hide something. To hide something like Rafale and only Rafale can make them try and make CVC act like a puppet," said Singhvi whose party has repeatedly accused Modi of being involved in the "Rafale scam".
