'Not legitimate for me to comment on CIC', says Bassi

Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi on Friday said it was not legitimate for him to comment on speculations about his name being withdrawn from the list of Central Information Commissioner (CIC) probables.

"I'm happy, there is no problem. It's not legitimate for me to talk about the matter. It hardly matters to me," he told reporters when asked whether his name was removed from the list amidst the ongoing JNU controversy.

Meanwhile, according to sources, the Congress Party has opposed Bassi's candidature for the post of CIC.

Array

Reports earlier suggested that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led selection committee is likely to meet soon to decide on the names for three vacant posts of the central information commissioners in the transparency watchdog.

The 1977 batch IPS officer, who is due to retire this month-end, was shortlisted last November by a search committee headed by Cabinet Secretary P.K. Sinha.

There is a vacancy of three information commissioners against its total strength of 10.

The government had in December last year appointed former Defence Secretary R.K. Mathur as head of the transparency panel. Mathur's tenure ends on November 25, 2018.