Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid the ongoing row over the appointment and removal of CBI director.
Addressing to media, Rahul Gandhi said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reaction was in the panic. "He is scared that he indulged in corruption and he could get caught," Rahul said.
Gandhi also said that the Modi government removed CBI director as he was to investigate Rafale jet deal.
"Appointment and removal of the CBI director are done by a committee of 3 people PM, CJI and Leader of Opposition. But at 2 am in the night, the CBI director was removed. This is an Insult to the constitution, an insult to CJI, insult to people of India and is illegal and criminal," said Gandhi.
Gandhi's reaction came after the CBI spokesperson said that Alok Verma will remain as CBI Director and Rakesh Asthana as Special Director while M Nageshwar Rao will look after duties of director.
A late-night order on Tuesday from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet led by the prime minister had sent Verma and CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana, who were at loggerheads, on leave.
Besides sending Verma and Asthana on leave, the government also transferred several CBI officials and appointed M Nageswar Rao as the interim chief of the agency.
The CBI director moved the Supreme Court Wednesday challenging the government's decision after which it agreed to hear his plea on Friday.
Meanwhile, after four men were found 'loitering' outside Verma's official residence and were being questioned by police, the Congress accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government of resorting to "snooping" on CBI Director Alok Verma to "cover-up" the Rafale 'scam'.
Suffering from "Rafale-o-phobia", Prime Minister Narendra Modi is indulging in "snooping, surveillance and spying" of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge and senior leader Abhishek Singhvi said at a press conference.
