The Bharatiya Janata Party State president and MP Ajay Bhatt has rejected allegations levelled by Congress leaders who have averred that the BJP and its Governments are behind the Central Bureau of Investigation probe against former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat. Bhatt said that the agency is doing its work.

Bhatt said that responding to CBI stating in the high court that it would lodge a case against Rawat, the ex-CM and other Congress leaders had made the baseless allegation that the CBI is working on the directions of BJP Governments. He said, “The fact is that the CBI investigation was started on the recommendation of the then Uttarakhand Governor when the Congress Government was in office in the State with Harish Rawat as the Chief Minister. The then Governor had recommended the CBI probe following the sting operation which showed Rawat making a deal to buy the support of MLAs when they were leaving the Congress. However, when Rawat managed to prove majority in the Vidhan Sabha with the blessings of the then Assembly Speaker and resumed work, his cabinet cancelled the recommendation of the then governor for the CBI probe.

The high court had later quashed this decision of the Cabinet stating that the Cabinet did not have the authority to do so. The court had also passed orders for the CBI probe to be conducted under its monitoring.”

The BJP State president further said that the said sting operation had been carried out when Rawat was the chief minister. “When the CBI has reached some conclusion after conducting its investigation and may lodge a case against Rawat, him and Congress leaders accusing the BJP of influencing such actions is nothing more than a politically motivated attempt to misguide the public.

The fact is that the law is taking its own course. It would be better if Rawat and Congress leaders cooperated with the CBI in this case because it is a matter between Rawat and the investigation agency,” added the BJP state president.