In what could be seen as a snub to the Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of misuse of the CBI by the UPA Govt at the BJP Chief Ministers Conclave. Modi wanted the party MPs to raise the issue of the misuse of the CBI in Parliament. It may be recalled that it was in the Budget Session of Parliament that though the matter was identified in the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the Lok Sabha, the issue was not treated as a priority and, as a result, it was not discussed or debated in Parliament.
At the two-day conclave, the Centre was accused by all the seven BJP-ruled Chief Ministers of “step-motherly” treatment and for misusing Constitutional machinery, including the CBI, to serve its political interests. The issue was specifically raised by the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who was supported by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi.
In his valedictory address, Modi’s concern was echoed by NDA working chairman L K Advani, who lashed out at the Centre for trying to destabilise the democratically elected BJP governments. Here, he particularly, mentioned Gujarat, which was being targeted by the CBI and declared that this move of the Centre would be resisted and taken-up both inside and outside Parliament.
In fact, the issue of “crass partisan approach” of the UPA Government on several issues also found mention in the resolution adopted at the conclave. It mentioned that “scores of vital legislations passed by the BJP governments are pending approval by Governors for a long time, for political reasons. This conclave condemns this partisan approach and resolves to fight it in every possible way”. Referring to the issue of misuse of Constitutional institutions, including the CBI, Modi, in his speech, stated that these institutions were being used against the state government as a weapon.
He was of the view that the states, which were doing commendable job, were being harassed by the Centre and particularly the state bureaucracy was being pressurised by the Centre. He criticised the partisan approach of the Governors, who were acting as “political agents” of the Centre by neither accepting nor rejecting important legislations passed by the state legislature.
Modi also raised the issue of “financial impartiality” given to the BJP-ruled states by the Centre and was supported by almost all the Chief Ministers, including Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan.
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