File photo of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has questioned the independence of the Central Bureau of Investigation, which was last week handed over the investigation into Madhya Pradesh's high-profile Vyapam scam.
Speaking at a function in New Delhi to felicitate whistleblowers, Mr Kejriwal today said, "Even the CBI belongs to the Centre."
Last week, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, whose government has been under attack from the opposition Congress, called for a CBI inquiry, attributing his decision to "a wish to honour public sentiment". More than 30 people linked to the admission and recruitment scandal have died since 2012.
Mr Chouhan's call for a CBI probe came after he briefed his party, the BJP's top leadership, and assured them that he had nothing to fear from an investigation by the central agency, sources said.
Mr Chouhan, for years, had rejected the allegation that a state-level inquiry - even one monitored by the High Court - would not be impartial. His call for a CBI investigation came as the Supreme Court agreed to hear petitions asking for the CBI to be entrusted with the probe. The petitioners include Digvijaya Singh, Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, and whistle-blowers who say they regularly receive death threats but are determined to prove that the Chief Minister and other top leaders are party to the swindle.
The Vyapam scam is named for a state board that conducts qualifying tests for colleges and jobs as government teachers, doctors and policemen. Lakhs of candidates paid bribes to manipulate the exam process, including hiring proxies to take the test for them.