Alok Verma's transfer: Congress says PM too afraid of probe into Rafale deal

The Congress on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the government over the removal of CBI Director Alok Verma, with party chief Rahul Gandhi saying the second-time sacking of the probe agency chief's showed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a "prisoner of his own lies" and there was fear in his mind over alleged corruption in the Rafale aircraft deal.

The opposition party termed the government's action as a "gross miscarriage of justice" and alleged that the prime minister was trying to protect his and his government's "wrong-doings" by appointing a "pliable officer".

Barely two days after the Supreme Court reinstated him, Verma was removed as CBI Director by a high-powered committee headed by Prime Minister Modi on charges of corruption and dereliction of duty, in an unprecedented action in the central probe agency's 55-year history.

Congress senior spokesperson Anand Sharma alleged that the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) "had lost credibility and was compromised".

He said the present CVC had no authority to form a panel of officers as mandated under the law.

Sharma also alleged that the CVC was acting at the behest of the Prime Minister's office.

He demanded an independent probe monitored by the Supreme Court into the events of October 23/24 night when Verma was removed as CBI Director in a 'midnight operation'.

Fear is now rampaging through Mr Modi's mind. He can't sleep. He stole 30,000Cr from the IAF and gave it to Anil Ambani. Sacking the CBI Chief #AlokVerma twice in a row, clearly shows that he is now a prisoner of his own lies. Satyamev Jayate, Gandhi tweeted.

"By removing #AlokVerma from his position without giving him the chance to present his case, PM Modi has shown once again that he's too afraid of an investigation, either by an independent CBI director or by Parliament via JPC, the Congress said on its Twitter handle.

Addressing a press conference, Sharma said, It is not only a gross miscarriage of justice, it's a travesty... that we have a situation where even the basic tenets of natural justice have been thrown to the winds by none other than the committee chaired by the PM."