Centre responsible for problems in CBI: Mayawati

BSP president Mayawati on Wednesday blamed the Centre for the state of affairs in the CBI and said other institutions are also facing similar problems because of the wrong policies being pursued by the government.

"More than the officials, it is the central government which is responsible for the problems in the CBI," Mayawati said in a statement.

She said the Centre's "vindictive, casteist and communal policies" have put not only the CBI, but also other agencies under similar threat.

Cases like those involving Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi and the Rafale deal are blots on the BJP-led government's rule and they have not been probed properly, she said.

However, she added, the ruling party misuses official machinery to target anti-BJP parties and institutions.

This has been happening for the last four-and-a-half years and this is the reason why people are losing faith in government institutions, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief said.

This needs to be addressed, she added.

Much wrong has been done to the premier investigating agency by interferences of different kinds in the past too, Mayawati said.

What is happening now is a matter of grave concern for the country as it is giving rise to a lot of doubts in the minds of people and they seem to be losing faith in the CBI, she said.

Speaking about the top CBI officials being sent on leave in the midst of night and a major overhauling of the central agency, Mayawati said it is good that the matter has gone to the Supreme Court.

"Besides the internal working, the Supreme Court will also get an opportunity to seriously look into the role of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) which has become essential in the present context," she said.

"It is important for restoring the faith of the people in the CBI that the Supreme Court takes effective cognizance of the present situation," she said.