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Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi
The Congress on Monday alleged that the Central Bureau of Investigation was conducting a "parallel investigation" into the Tehelka expose by questioning one of its official in the media department. The party said that the government was using the agency as an instrument of intimidation.
"This clandestine activity of the CBI is tantamount to a parallel investigation into Tehelka," fumed chief party spokesman S Jaipal Reddy.
According to Reddy, a CBI official who identified himself as "Rathi", on Saturday called on the residence of the All India Congress Committee media department's secretary, Tom Vadakkan, and questioned his wife.
The CBI official told Mrs Vadakkan that he had come in connection with certain inquiries into the Tehelka expose. Vadakkan rang up Rathi on Sunday and the latter confirmed that he wanted to talk to him about Tehelka.
The Congress spokesman pointed out that when the party's media department secretary asked Rathi to come to his residence, the latter refused.
"We are wondering why the CBI, after seven long months, is trying to talk to Vadakkan on Tehelka. This government has done everything to bypass, sabotage and pre-empt the working of the Venkataswami Commission (which is probing Tehelka )," he said.
Contending that the government was using the agency "as an instrument of intimidation", Reddy said, "We suspect that the CBI is trying to create a diversionary ploy after George Fernandes was unethically sworn as the defence minister."
"The dirty-tricks department of the CBI is working overtime on holidays and we warn it against such silly and self-defeating tactics," he charged.
He alleged: "We don't think the prime minister, the union home minister and the defence minister are completely unaware of what the CBI is doing."
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