CBI director chosen in fair manner: Narayanasamy

With Bharatiya Janata Party demanding annulment of the government's decision to appoint Ranjit Sinha as the new Central Bureau of Investigation director, Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy on Friday said his selection has been done "in a fair manner following the due process".

Speaking on the sidelines of a CBI function in New Delhi, he said Sinha was the senior-most officer among the three names suggested by the Central Vigilance Commissioner and so Prime Minister Manmohan Singh decided his name.

"The prime minister in his wisdom considered Ranjit Sinha being seniormost 1974 batch officer... the prime minister decided the name of Ranjit Sinha in a fair manner following the due process in which Central Vigilance Commissioner recommended three names... Where is the question of unfairness in this," he asked.

Narayanasamy said CVC had to finalise the names and recommended those of Ranjit Sinha, Sharad Sinha and Atul.

"Three names have been finalised, the prime minister is the authority to decide... As far as BJP is concerned, they are not behaving as a responsible opposition and are not allowing the House to function. They want either my way or no way. It is not possible in a democracy," he said.

Criticising BJP for blocking House proceedings, he said people of the country have given mandate to the government to rule the country and take decisions but the BJP is not playing its "role of an opposition party".

Assuring that the government is willing to follow rules prescribed in the parliamentary procedure, Narayanasamy said the BJP should also cooperate with the government so that the House can function normally.

When asked about claims made by former CAG official R P Singh on CAG's estimates of presumptive loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore in the spectrum scam, he said the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has already demanded an inquiry on this.

On allegations of Public Accounts Committee Chairman Murli Manohar Joshi that Congress was playing politics on the issue, he said the BJP leader must answer the questions raised by Singh.

Narayanasamy said the issue of 2G scam was discussed in the PAC where majority of MPs voted against it and claimed Joshi "submitted the report to the Speaker which was not according to the Parliamentary procedure".

The speaker asked him to get it cleared by the committee and before bringing it but so far no progress has been made on this, he said.

He alleged that Joshi again started an inquiry and did not follow the laid down procedures.

"My request is that chairmen of the standing committee, public accounts committee should not toe the lines of their party.

"They should be neutral. Speaker has given them powers to work as chairmen. It would be good if they do their job accordingly. Murli Manohar Joshi did not work according to it for which I am sad," he said.

Narayanasamy said the government would try to pass the Lokpal Bill during the winter session of Parliament.

He also that said the select committee had submitted its recommendations in Parliament which would be studied, discussed in the Cabinet and government would try to bring the bill after that.