Former Central Bureau of Investigation joint director V V Lakshminarayana on Friday found fault with Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s decision to withdraw the general consent given to the CBI to conduct investigations into allegations of corruption in the state.
Perhaps, it is for the first time that Lakshminarayana came out with a statement against Naidu, putting rest to all the speculations that he might join the TDP sooner or later.
The former CBI official said though the state government had a right to deny general consent to the CBI to conduct investigations, it should give a valid reason for the same.
“If there are allegations against an agency, it is not proper to ban the agency completely. It is like closing down the entire hospital just because of there are charges against a doctor,” he said.
He warned that the state government’s decision might lead to rampant corruption in the central government organisations. For every single case, the CBI has to approach the state government for approval.
The chief minister’s decision is against the anti-corruption movement in the country, he observed.
Lakshminarayana said in the case of attempt on the life of YSR Congress party Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, the CBI would take up the investigation only if the courts give the direction.
If Naidu has any reservations on the appointments in the CBI, he should wage a political battle, as the Supreme Court is looking into the affairs of the agency, he said.
He reminded that the Karnataka government, which had earlier cancelled the permission to the CBI to conduct probes in the mining cases, had to restore the same following Supreme Court intervention.
