‘LoP is not rubber stamp’: Rahul Gandhi writes to PM Modi, registers dissent with CBI chief selection process | India News
Prime Minister Modi and Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday registered his displeasure with the process of selecting the next director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), alleging that he was not provided with self-evaluation reports of the candidates and the government’s choice was therefore “pre-determined”.“As Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi is on the three-member committee to appoint the CBI chief alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.
The Congress MP shared a screenshot of his dissent letter on his X handle.He accused the government of misusing the CBI to target political opponents, journalists and critics and highlighted that the inclusion of opposition leaders in the election committee was intended to prevent such “institutional capture”.“Despite repeated written requests, I was not provided self-evaluation report or 360-degree report of eligible candidates. Instead, I was expected to examine the evaluation records of 69 candidates for the first time in the committee meeting. A detailed review of these records is crucial. A detailed review of these records is important for evaluating the performance history of each candidate and this information. Selection process and ensuring that only your pre-determined candidates are selected,” wrote Rahul.He added that he had recorded his dissent in the previous two meetings, but had yet to receive any response.“By denying the Election Commission important information, the government has reduced it to a mere formality. The Leader of the Opposition is not a rubber stamp. I cannot avoid my responsibility by taking part in this biased exercise,” the former Congress chief concluded.The meeting was held at the Prime Minister’s residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg and lasted for over an hour.Current CBI Director Praveen Sood’s tenure is set to end on May 24 A decision on his successor is expected soonAccording to sources, the list of officers being considered for the top CBI post includes several senior IPS officers from various states. Some of the names of IPS officers understood to be under consideration include Parag Jain, Shatrujit Kapoor, Yogesh Gupta, GP Singh and Praveer Ranjan.(with PTI input)
