New Delhi:
The Supreme Court has castigated the CBI sharply today for showing a report on its coal investigation to the government before submitting it to judges last month. The court says their first exercise is to free the CBI from political interference.
As expected, there has been a flurry of reactions to these observations. Here are some of them.
Ranjit Sinha, CBI Director: We have given full details about the original draft and the amended draft. I don't think there is anything to regret about, we will explain the situation and the circumstances in which we went to the Law minister. We have laid ourselves bare in front of the honorable Supreme Court, it is for them to decide.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh: Whatever action is called for will be taken after I study the Supreme court observations.
Ravi Shankar Prasad, Senior BJP leader: The public spat going on between the Attorney General and the Additional Solicitor General as to who tried to influence the status report of CBI in coal-gate scam is not only saddening but very regretting. It reinforces that not only the ministers or the PMO or other functionaries but even the top law officers of the Government of India before the Supreme Court are colluding in the compromise of Institutions.
Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Senior BJP leader: There was a discussion on the CBI affidavit in the Supreme court.The court has said that the Government has broken the trust , and the facts are disturbing.
Sushma Swaraj, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha: Every time there is a new scam. The second scam breaks the record of the first scam and the third scam breaks record of the second scam. They just don't play up scams but to cover up those scams; to save the PM and Law Minister they do all kinds of things possible.
Pinaki Mishra, Biju Janata Dal leader: I think it is for the Prime Minister now to seriously reflect, introspect as to the kind of people he has put in charge of these extraordinarily elevated institutions in this country. These very holy institutions, sacred institutions in this country. He must really reflect now on the kind of law minister he has appointed and the law officers appointed.
Mayawati, BSP Chief: We agree with the observations of the SC that the CBI is being misused. The NDA had misused the CBI against me and my party. We then had to approach the Supreme Court for relief.
D Raja, CPI leader: These are all very strong observations made by the Supreme Court. Parliament should think of evolving a suitable mechanism for independent mechanism of CBI. It must be made accountable to some authority. Parliament will have to debate on that
Salman Khurshid, Foreign Minister: Let's not comment on what court is saying, let us wait for the judgement. Obiter dicta (oral observation) by a judge is not binding unless its part of the judgement.
Janardhan Dwivedi, Congress General Secretary: Supreme Court's remarks on coal issue 'not pleasant' for any dispensation.
Ram Gopal Yadav, Samajwadi Party leader: These are oral observations of the Supreme Court. Ttill this figures in the written judgement it is unfair to come to conclusions. We will wait till the final judgement.