CBI, NIA working under Centre's pressure, alleges Upadhyay

Accusing the Centre of pressurising the CBI, Congress' Uttarakhand chief Kishore Upadhyay today suggested that it be renamed "Modi Bureau of India" after the agency asked Chief minister Harish Rawat to appear before it in the sting CD case.
"In the two years of the Modi government, all charges against people like Gujarat police officer DG Vanzara and Sadhvi Pragya are being dropped, while Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat is being implicated in sting CD case," said Upadhyay during a press conference here.
Rawat was today asked by the CBI to appear before it on May 24 in connection with a probe into the sting operation involving him.

The CBI had last week rejected the Uttarakhand government's notification withdrawing the case related to the alleged sting operation.
"This is evidence enough to suggest that both the investigation agencies (CBI and NIA) are working under Centre's pressure. The two agencies should be combined and named 'Modi Bureau of India'," he said.
An alleged sting operation CD purportedly showing Rawat offering bribes to rebel Congress lawmakers to support him during a floor test in the Uttarakhand Assembly had emerged last month.

Upadhyay said the Congress had no faith in CBI's investigation in the case.
"Congress has no confidence in the investigation being carried out by the CBI against Chief Minister Harish Rawat because neither the state government nor the court recommended it," Upadhyay said.

He instead suggested that an investigation team headed by a judge be formed to look into the case.
"The Centre does not trust the SIT formed by the state government to investigate the case while we don't have any confidence in CBI's probe, it is therefore better if an investigation committee headed by a judge is formed to investigate the case," he said.
Upadhyay alleged that BJP was trying to "topple" the Congress government in Uttarakhand with the help of CBI, as a "revenge" after it failed to oust the Rawat government through "legislative and judicial means".