BJP accuses Congress of using investigating agencies as political tools

New Delhi, July 6 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday accused the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre of misusing investigating agencies and using them as political tools to garner support of other political outfits.

"We are saying that the government is misusing the investigating agencies to use them as political tools and have the political support from the various political parties who can be compelled through such tactics," said BJP spokesperson and Member of Parliament (MP) Tarun Vijay.

Vijay's comment came after the Supreme Court quashed a nine-year-long disproportionate assets case against former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati and pulled up the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for initiating the probe against her without specific directions from the court.

Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi, however, rubbished the BJP's allegations, saying the CBI is an independent body and works independently.

"Everybody knows this very fact that the CBI is an independent body," he said.

Alvi further said it would be inappropriate him for him to comment on the verdict of the apex court in this case.

"We have respect for the judgement of any court whether it is the lower court or the highest court. We never make any comment on the judgement given by the court," he said.

The apex court said the method adopted by the CBI was 'unwarranted' and added that the agency proceeded against her without properly understanding its orders passed in the Taj Corridor scam.

The apex court said there is no finding in the CBI's status report of September 2008 that Mayawati had allegedly amassed disproportionate assets during the period 1995-2003.

"There is no material report of disproportionate assets case against the petitioner (Mayawati) in the Taj Corridor scam," said an apex court bench headed by Justice P. Sathasivam.

The apex court said the investigating agency exceeded its jurisdiction by filing a DA case against Mayawati, as there was no such direction from it.

"The CBI should have lodged only one FIR (in Taj Corridor scam). There was no direction for lodging a second FIR (against Mayawati) by the Supreme Court," the apex court bench said.

Mayawati had filed a petition in May 2008, seeking quashing of the criminal proceedings against her in the case, alleging it was an act of political vendetta.

She claimed she had received the money through donations from party workers.

A bench headed by P Sathasivam had reserved its judgment on May 1 after a two-hour-long hearing during which Mayawati had accused the CBI of fixing the DA case against her.

The CBI, on the other hand, has maintained that it has ample evidence to show that Mayawati had amassed wealth, disproportionate to her known sources of income.

Questioning Mayawati's assets, the CBI had said her declared assets of Rs one crore in 2003 had gone up to Rs 50 crore in 2007.

The CBI, in its last affidavit filed on September 13, 2011, had alleged there was a criminal nexus between Mayawati and her relatives and the disproportionate assets case against her cannot be closed on the basis of conclusions arrived at by the Income Tax Department. (ANI)