NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday strongly denied that his government was letting loose the CBI on its political rivals.
Replying to a question at his media conference, Singh was emphatic that CBI was not an instrument in the hands of the government to browbeat inconvenient political parties and make sure they fell in line.
"There was no deal... whatever misconceptions you have in your heart, kindly get rid of them," he said when asked if the unexpected BSP support for the government during the cut motions in Parliament had been an outcome of a deal with UP CM Mayawati.
The opposition had alleged the critical BSP support came on the basis of an understanding that CBI would not pursue a disproportionate assets case against her.
The PM said CBI was an autonomous organization functioning independently without any interference from the government. "There is no truth in saying that the government is misusing the CBI," he said while pointing out that the investigating agency was being monitored by CVC.
The PM, however, steered clear of tricky questions on Congress’s ties with existing UPA constituents. He refrained from answering a question on possible tensions with Trinamool Congress and DMK over seat-sharing in the West Bengal and Tamil Nadu polls. "I think, we are too far away from the elections," he said.
Singh said the UPA had performed despite being a "coalition government", but refused to indicate whether he preferred continued partnership. Link
