Modi not letting CBI probe Odisha government: Congress

The Congress on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "not letting the CBI investigate charges of corruption" against the Naveen Patnaik government in Odisha.

It demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe by a Special Investigation Team.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and the party's Odisha unit chief Prasad Harichandan said the party has steadfastly maintained that Patnaik was "leading a massively corrupt regime involved in loot of precious resources" of the state.

"We now stand vindicated with shocking revelations, which prove that the prime minister is not letting the CBI investigate into the charges of corruption against the Naveen Patnaik government in the chit fund scam and the mining scam," the two Congress leaders said in a joint statement.

They accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Biju Janata Dal "of being in cahoots in looting the resources and people of Odisha".

The statement said Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram has commented that the central government has let off the Odisha government on many issues, including the "chit fund and mining scams".

It said Oram had also stated that "the investigation has actually slowed down" and was not going "at the accepted speed" but the union minister had refused to go into reasons for "slowing down" of probe in front of camera.

The Congress leaders also accused Modi of "blatantly misusing the CBI" to protect the Naveen Patnaik government rather than letting the agency investigate and prosecute the guilty.

The Congress leaders also accused the BJP-led central government of delaying the appointment of a Lokpal.

"With a Lokpal in place, the CBI would come under its jurisdiction. Consequently manipulation galore to suit prime minister's political agenda of helping friends and prosecuting opponents by political vendetta will then not be served by CBI," they said.