BJP shies away from taking Amit Shah's name during protest against CBI

It was a BJP protest against the "misuse" of CBI but senior party leaders today shied away from taking the name of Gujarat minister Amit Shah arrested by the agency recently in connection with the Sohrabuddin encounter killing case.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, BJP general secretary Vijay Goel and leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly VK Malhotra addressed the protest outside CBI headquarters but none of them mentioned Shah. 

They alleged the Congress was using the agency to destabilise the Gujarat government.

None of them also took the name of Sohrabuddin though they accused the Centre and CBI of targeting the officials and leaders for the killing of a "terrorist".

46-year-old Shah was arrested on July 26 and charge sheeted by the CBI for his alleged involvement in the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case. BJP had termed Shah as a "victim" of a "political conspiracy" hatched by Congress.

Jaitley, who spoke for about ten minutes at the protest, alleged the CBI has become a "political weapon" in the hands of Congress in the past eight years during which it started targeting BJP-led governments.

Without mentioning Sohrabuddin, Jaitley said, "the CBI has become political. There were evidences about the terrorist in three states. Without evidence, people were arrested in the case. There is an attempt to destabilise the Gujarat government."

Jaitley also used railway minister Mamata Banerjee's remarks in Lalgarh rally, when she said Maoist leader Azad was killed, to attack the government.

"Your minister is supporting Maoists. Mamata Banerjee has said that the Maoist leader was killed in a fake encounter. It is your Minister who is saying this. Will you include Andhra Pradesh home minister's (Sabita Reddy) name in the case? Will you include Union home minister's (P Chidambaram) name. Is it only for Gujarat?"

He alleged that the small parties like Samajwadi Party, BSP and RJD were being pressurised to support the government.

"A sword is above their heads. CBI was after Mulayam Singh Yadav and when the no-confidence motion came in Parliament in 2008, the CBI said they will reconsider the case. Similarly this year during cut motion, BSP changed tracks," Jaitley said.

Goel alleged that the CBI has become "Congress Bachao (Save Congress) Institution". "If the smaller parties are supporting Congress, then their cases are being put in cold storage. When they withdraw support, the cases re-emerge," he claimed.

He said the Congress through the CBI, which was set up on April one, was making "fool" of the countrymen.

Goel charged it was not the same Congress party in which Mahatma Gandhi was a member or it was not the same party which won the country its independence.

He alleged the UPA government was trying to destabilise the Gujarat government.

Jaitley said when the Samajwadi Party jumped out of the Opposition bandwagon and supported the UPA during the trust motion, "that was not political support. It was due to the blackmail done by CBI".

He alleged that the CBI was putting a "purdah or chadar" on Congress leaders facing allegations while they are making charges against Opposition members much harsher.

"People want to know the truth of the biggest scam of 2G spectrum but CBI is putting a 'purdah' on it. Whenever a case related to a Congressman comes up, they are putting a purdah or chadar above it. They are concealing.

"They are making charges against Opposition harsher. A sword hangs over smaller parties," he said. 

He also alleged that the CBI will be used to muster support for the passage of Civil Nuclear Liability Bill, which is facing opposition from many parties.