HM Shah Criticizes Bengal Government for Not Establishing Special CBI Court
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Synopsis
Kolkata, March 20: HM Shah criticizes the West Bengal government's reluctance to establish a special CBI court, hindering convictions in corruption cases. He responds to Gokhale's claims and emphasizes the need for judicial infrastructure.
Key Takeaways
- HM Shah highlights the need for a special CBI court in Bengal.
- Claims of no convictions in CBI cases are attributed to the state's inaction.
- Political violence cases remain unresolved due to lack of judicial support.
- BJP members demand an apology from Gokhale for his remarks.
- Chairman of Rajya Sabha takes note of un-parliamentary comments.
Kolkata, March 20 (NationPress) The convictions in cases pertaining to West Bengal that are under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seem to be obstructed by the unwillingness of the state government to establish even one special CBI court within its borders.
In response to statements made by Saket Gokhale, a former RTI activist and current Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member, during a session in the upper house of Parliament—where he noted that there had been no convictions in the 6,900 corruption cases filed by the CBI in West Bengal—Home Minister Amit Shah remarked that achieving convictions in such cases as directed by the courts is not feasible due to the West Bengal government’s failure to set up a single special CBI court.
Shah also addressed Gokhale’s assertion suggesting that he was fearful of being questioned, stating that he did not enter Parliament through anyone’s favor after winning seven elections, and thus there is no basis for him to be “afraid.”
Moreover, he accused Gokhale of providing misleading information to the house about the nature of these cases, clarifying that they are related to political violence in West Bengal, including incidents of post-poll violence, which have been registered following directives from either the Supreme Court of India or the High Court.
“The cases remain unresolved due to the lack of a single special court in West Bengal,” HM Shah asserted on the floor of the House.
Members of the BJP demanded an apology from Gokhale for his remarks insinuating that the Union Home Minister was afraid of scrutiny.
Later, the Rajya Sabha chairman and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar noted that Gokhale’s comments were un-parliamentary and would be expunged.
