Centre subverting probes in Odisha mining, chitfund scams:Cong

Congress today accused the Modi government of subverting investigations against Naveen Patnaik government in chit fund and mining scams in Odisha to get BJD's support in Parliament and sought Supreme Court-monitored probes.
The party latched onto Union Minister Jual Oram's purported comments about Odisha government being "let off" in "scams", but he termed the Congress' charge as "false, politically motivated and based on distorted facts" and asserted that BJP led NDA government has never interfered in CBI's functioning or "misused" it as Congress did for political gains.
Former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh alleged that a deal was struck between the BJD supremo and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at their "secret meeting" after which CBI slowed down its probe in the chitfund scam.

He demanded that the apex court monitor the CBI investigations in chit-fund and mining scams in the state, claiming that Oram's "honest admission" in an interview makes it clear that the Centra has virtually subverted the CBI probe into the chitfund scam.
CBI had "reached the door steps" of Chief Minister Patnaik in the chit fund scam, Congress claimed.
Flanked by Odisha Congress president Prasad Harichandan at a press conference, Ramesh played a recent media interview of Oram in which he purportedly said, "The central government has let the state government off in many issues including chit fund and mining scams. Had it not been the case, the CBI would have finished them off already. They should thank the Centre for it."

Oram today said he was surprised that the Congress leaders were attempting to extract political mileage by "distorting" his statement made two days ago.

"My contention was that the BJD should have thanked BJP because it did not use CBI the way Congress was using it for political gain.
"Had BJP misused the CBI the way Congress led UPA had done in the past, there is no doubt the CBI would have finished the BJD government already," the Union Minister said.
Ramesh said the remarks of Oram, a BJP MP from the state, made it clear that the CBI, which is probing chit-fund case and not the alleged mining scam, was working as per Modi's wishes and "no more evidence was needed" in this regard.

The Modi government had not taken any decision on the M B Shah's commission report, which recommended a CBI probe into the mining scam, due to this, he claimed.
"CBI's independence has been finished and it has become a political tool. We cannot rely on the government and the Supreme Court should take note of this. BJP is getting the support of BJD in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha through blackmail. BJP and BJD have become two sides of the same coin," he said.
To a query whether the party will move the apex court, he said it will take a call on this.

Dubbing CBI as "captive bureau of investigation", he said Congress demands that the Centre constitute a Lokpal at the earliest and bring the agency under it.
Oram, however, hit out at the Congress leaders, saying the entire country knew the corruption was synonymous with the Congress party, whether in power or otherwise.
"The Congress Party should know that our government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has zero tolerance against corruption and the government has already initiated several steps in this regard," Oram said.