Top court intervenes to halt center-state rift in India

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - India’s apex court on Tuesday intervened in a rift on “exercise of powers” between central and state (provincial) governments in the country.

The Supreme Court of India asked a top police officer in the eastern state of West Bengal to cooperate with central (federal) bureau of investigation (CBI) in Saradha and Rose Valley chit fund cases.

CBI works under central government which is run by right wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee, rules West Bengal, where the police officer, Rajeev Kumar, is posted.

“Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar cannot be arrested but he has to appear before the CBI in Shillong (capital of northeastern Meghalaya state), make available all evidence and cooperate with investigations into chit fund scams in Bengal,” the local broadcaster NDTV quoted the Supreme Court as saying.

On Sunday, at least 40 CBI officials reached the residence of Kumar to allegedly question him in the case. CBI accused the officer of “doctoring evidence” and shielding the accused, the NDTV said.

However, Banerjee stalled the CBI action and detained all the CBI officers.

“How dare you come to a police commissioner's home without a warrant? Mr [Ajit] Doval [National Security Advisor] is doing whatever PM wants him to do, he is the one giving all the instructions to CBI,” Banerjee claimed and sat on an indefinite strike which came to an end early Tuesday after the Supreme Court decision.

All opposition parties in India stood behind her against Modi-led central government.

The West Bengal chief minister had called it a “total constitutional breakdown”.

CBI had moved to the Supreme Court on Monday. Kumar is neither accused nor is there any evidence against him in the case.

Several members of TMC have been arrested in the chit-fund cases which were probed by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Rajeev Kumar.

Senior journalist and political commentator Urmilesh told Anadolu Agency from New Delhi that the chit-fund cases are several years old.

“The whole [CBI] action was taken [by Modi] government keeping in view the upcoming elections,” Urmilesh said.

“It is to terrorize the bureaucracy of West Bengal as BJP is eyeing some [parliamentary] seats and wants to covey it to officers that our [central] government is powerful.”

India is going to elect its new central government in April-May general elections.