PM Modi must learn to follow rule book: Gudur

Hyderabad: Congress senior leader and TPCC Treasurer Gudur Narayana Reddy said that the Supreme Court order reinstating CBI Director Alok Verma is a direct indictment of Prime Minister Narender Modi and he must now learn to follow the rule book.

Gudur Narayana Reddy, in a media statement on Wednesday, said that the Supreme Court's order has exposed the Modi Government's illegal interference in top institutions like CBI wherein Alok Verma was sent on forced leave for three months in a midnight swoop. He said that the Supreme Court's order has reversed the precedent attempted by the Modi Government to take control of democratic institutions like CBI. The SC order has now set a new precedent and no party in power in future would ever try to interfere in the functioning of democratic institutions.

The Congress leader said that Alok Verma was forcibly removed from the post by PM Modi due to fear that the CBI might initiate probe into Rafale scam. Since the Supreme Court has reinstated the CBI Director, people can expect the agency to take up the investigation into Rs. 40,000 Crore Rafale scam committed by Modi Government. "Modi Government has failed to answer a few basic questions raised by Congress president Rahul Gandhi on the Rafale deal. The Prime Minister did not answer as to why the price of Rafale aircraft was increased from Rs. 526 crore to Rs. 1600 crore and why their numbers were reduced from 137 to just 36. Further, PM Modi could not give a reply on why the deal was snatched away from HAL and given to his friend Anil Ambani. A detailed probe by the CBI will expose the country's biggest ever defence scam," he said.

He also accused Defence Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman of trying to defend PM Modi on Rafale Scam. He also accused her of misleading the people of India with wrong information by furnishing false details of orders given to HAL. He said it was unfortunate that despite being the daughter-in-law of Telugu State, she has been trying to defend some scamsters who are trying to loot the country.

Gudur Narayana Reddy also welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to constitute a high-powered selection committee comprising PM Modi, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi to decide on the CBI chief's status. "PM Modi never gave importance nor acknowledged the presence of opposition parties in the country. He took all decisions unilaterally and implemented them by not involving anyone. By including Leader of Opposition in the high-powered selection committee, the Supreme Court has conveyed a strong message that the opposition plays a major role in a democratic set up," he said.

The Congress leader said that the Supreme Court's order would act as referral whenever the party in power, anywhere in the country, tries to misuse the democratic institutions. He also advised Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao to learn some lessons from the Supreme Court's order on CBI Director's reinstatement and stop misusing police force and other institutions. He said both PM Modi and CM KCR had misused Executive, Legislature and Media, the three pillars of democracy and did not show respect towards the Judiciary. They demolished all the democratic institutions and tried to rule like dictators. However, he praised the role being played by judiciary in protecting the democracy and Constitution in the country.