Kesri's pressure ended Joginder Singh's tenure

Was Joginder Singh abruptly shunted to the home ministry because of the pressure mounted by Congress president Sitaram Kesri? Did Kesri insist that his nominee R C Sharma should be appointed as the CBI chief?

A senior CBI official thinks so. Asked why Kesri was particular about Sharma, the CBI official said the Congress chief wanted to stall any investigation that might be directed against him in the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act case which alleges that his party received funds from abroad in violation of the Act.

Even former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao recommended Sharma's name after Vijaya Rama Rao retired as CBI director. However, then prime minister H D Deve Gowda ignored the recommendation and appointed Joginder Singh as the CBI chief.

Confirming Sharma's proximity to top Congress leaders, the CBI official said the new chief scarcely concealed his penchant for ''mixing'' with Congressmen. Sharma is also close to Sonia Gandhi, the agency source claimed.

The new CBI chief's statement that he would bring back officials sidelined by Joginder Singh spells trouble for CBI Joint Director (East) U N Biswas who spearheaded the investigation against Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav in the Rs 9.5 billion fodder scam.

Significantly, leader of the Opposition in the Bihar assembly Sushil Kumar Modi's decision to challenge Joginder Singh's dismissal may create problems for the government. Both the Patna high court and the Supreme Court earlier ruled that all officials involved in probing the scam could not be disturbed till they complete the investigation.

Meanwhile, indications have emerged that the Congress plenary session, scheduled to be held in Calcutta on August 8, would be postponed for a couple of months. The main reason is the Janata Dal crisis, which, Kesri hopes, will present him with an opportunity to grab power at the Centre. Also, as West Bengal Congress leader Mamta Banerjee has threatened to oppose the session, the party needs some time to pacify her.

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