Congress: Remove CVC, he’s govt ‘puppet’

New Delhi: Accusing the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) of having acted like a “puppet” in the hands of the government in the matter of the removal of CBI director Alok Verma, the Congress on Sunday demanded his immediate removal. “The CVC should be sacked or tender his resignation”, Congress spokesman Abhishek “Manu” Singhvi told the media. “The CVC must go.”

He alleged that CVC K.V. Chowdhary was being made to “act like a puppet” to avoid any probe into the Rafale case. “The CVC has been acting like an ambassador, a messenger of the government, and lobbying for Asthana (CBI special director Rakesh Asthana). The CVC has forgotten that he is supposed to do vigilance for the public good, and not be a ‘vigilant’ puppet into the hands of political masters,” he added.

There was no immediate reaction from the Central Vigilance Commission or the government about this.

Mr Singhvi said he was putting across the views of his party, based on “objectives facts” that has emerged in the press in connection with the CBI controversy. “The data and facts demand immediate action, and that action must start with the removal and sacking of the CVC,” he said, adding that the sequence of events indicates the CVC “acted like a hatchet man of the government”. The senior lawyer had on Saturday alleged the government stood exposed after Justice A.K. Patnaik (Retd) claimed he had not seen the commission’s recommendations against Mr Verma and had not given his assent. He said the selection committee had removed Mr Verma based on the charges by Mr Asthana, whose plea to quash the FIR against him had been dismissed by the Delhi high court.