Stung by CBI action, BJP cries hoarse

PANJIM, APRIL 16
Apparently stung by two-hour long questioning of their senior leader Manohar Parrikar CBI, State BJP today questioned as to the central agency had been silent for the last six year calling it politics of vendetta.
Mr Parrikar was interrogated by CBI on Thursday in connection with alleged scam related to expenditure on infrastructure development for the Film Festival of India (IFFI) Goa hosted for the first time when he was the chief minister and finance minister of Goa.
The CBI is investigating into 22 allegations against Parrikar and others in connection with the alleged irregularities. One question that is learnt to have been posed to him was pertaining to exorbitant construction rates of the main projects undertaken then.
The BJP spokesperson Rajendra Arlekar while addressing a press conference on Friday here however said, this is done to take revenge and
is also a ploy to divert attention of the public from the real issues. “We are not on the wrong side of the law and are fully with our leader, “ he said.
The BJP will give full co-operation to CBI in its investigation but asked, “why were they silent for last six years.”
Looking a bit hassled but putting up a brave front yesterday, Parrikar while coming out of the questioning session, had said half the members of the present cabinet were in the Core committee of IFFI 2004 pointing fingers at them. But the fact is that Parrikar was not just the CM and finance minister but GSIDC which executed the works, was headed by him.
Charging that the Congress has the tendency to misuse CBI, Arlekar said CBI in the present situation can be called Congress Bureau of Investigation.
MISUSE BY CONGRESS!: The Congress has misused CBI in other States and it is doing same in Goa , now, he alleged. Asked as what could be the reason why CBI is conducting investigation now, he said, “we too are surprised.”
He also pointed out that some ministers in the current government were members of the infrastructure development committee and why they have not been summoned for interrogation.
CM: Stating that the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat was chairman of the committee, he wondered whether he would be interrogated.
He further pointed out that CAG report has passed strictures against Urban Development Minister so also remarks have been made against Civil Supplies department. Will there be a CBI inquiry against the two?, he asked as if in the present case, the CBI took suo moto cognizance of CAG report.
The complaint against Parrikar was filed by Mauvin Godinho but the Congress-government, allegations notwithstanding, had shown reluctance to pursue the case. This is clear from the fact that the case was registered only in 2007.