Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday submitted a strong dissent note during a meeting of the high-powered committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the selection of the next CBI director, saying he did not want to be part of what he termed a "biased exercise".
In his two-page dissent note, Gandhi alleged that the government had reduced the selection process to a mere formality and asserted that the Leader of Opposition could not act as a rubber stamp.
"By denying the Selection Committee crucial information, the government has reduced it to a mere formality. The Leader of Opposition is not a rubber stamp,” Gandhi said in his note submitted during the meeting.
"I cannot abdicate my constitutional duty by participating in this biased exercise. I, therefore, dissent in the strongest terms," he added.
Meeting with PM Modi, CJI on CBI chief selection
The committee meeting was held at the Prime Minister’s residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg. The panel comprises Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Rahul Gandhi.
Gandhi also accused the government of misusing the Central Bureau of Investigation to target opposition leaders, journalists and critics.
“I write to you in your capacity as Chairperson of the Committee constituted to recommend the next Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to record my dissent with its proceedings. Your government has repeatedly misused the CBI, intended to be India’s premier investigative agency, to target political opponents, journalists and critics,” Gandhi stated.
"It is to prevent such institutional capture that the Leader of Opposition is included in the Selection Committee. Regrettably, you have continued to deny me any meaningful role in the process," he added.
The Congress leader claimed that despite repeated written requests, he had not been provided with the self-appraisal reports or 360-degree evaluation reports of eligible candidates.
He stressed that a detailed review of such records was necessary to properly evaluate the history and performance of each candidate.
Gandhi also referred to his earlier dissent recorded during the previous committee meeting held on May 5 last year, as well as a letter he wrote to the Prime Minister on October 21, suggesting measures for a fair and transparent selection process. He said he had not received any response to those suggestions.
The tenure of incumbent CBI Director Praveen Sood is scheduled to end on May 24.
PTI reported the meeting lasted for more than an hour, though no official details of the discussions were released. The announcement regarding the appointment of the next CBI director is expected soon.
The committee is responsible for finalising the selection of the next CBI chief from a panel of senior officers.
Sources indicated that several senior IPS officers from different states are under consideration for the top post. Among the names reportedly being considered are Parag Jain, Shatrujeet Kapoor, Yogesh Gupta, G P Singh and Praveer Ranjan.
The CBI is currently handling several high-profile and politically sensitive investigations across the country.
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