The Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) statement in Uttarakhand High Court (HC) to register a case against former Chief Minister Harish Rawat for alleged horse trading, as shown in a sting operation, has elicited strong reaction from the Congress. If the case is registered against Rawat by the CBI, then he would be the second senior leader of Congress party after former Cabinet Minister, P Chidambaram, against whom the premier investigation agency has acted.
The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president, Pritam Singh said that the Government is using agencies like CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax (IT) as tools to muzzle voices of opposition against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that the CBI which is making the purported sting CD as basis of its action against Harish Rawat but is failing to notice a similar CD associated with members of ruling party.
The leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha, Indira Hridayesh, also expressed complete support to Harish Rawat and said that the Government is vindictive on Congress leaders.
Interacting with media persons at the Congress State headquarters on Wednesday, the party’s State vice-president Surya Kant Dhasmana said that the Union Government and BJP-ruled State Governments in the States are using central agencies to intimidate the leaders of Congress party. Terming the statement submitted by the CBI in the Uttarakhand High Court (HC) that it would register case of horse trading against Rawat in the sting CD case unfortunate, Dhasmana said it is bizarre as everyone in Uttarakhand knows that it was the BJP which actually engaged in horse trading on March 17, 2016 when on directions of its central leaders, 10 MLAs of Congress were made to switch sides. He said that the HC and Supreme Court took notice of the conspiracy and restored the Congress Government which was toppled unconstitutionally by the Union Government. Harish Rawat won the floor test in State Assembly and completed its full term. Dhasmana said that in the whole episode, Harish Rawat never engaged in horse trading but on the other hand BJP used money and lure of participation in power to break 10 MLAs of Congress party. He said that the CBI’s statement in HC is given on the insistence of BJP Government which is determined to silence the voices of Congress leaders. Expressing the resolve of Congress to stand firmly behind Harish Rawat, Dhasmana warned that if CBI takes any coercive action, then the Congress workers would hit roads under the leadership of PCC president Pritam Singh.
