Centre intruding into state govt’s jurisdiction: Minister

Mumbai: Senior Congress leader and public works minister Ashok Chavan on Tuesday said that the Centre should have consulted the state government before transferring the Bima-Koregaon violence case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), adding that the state has already sought legal opinion on it.

A source in the home department said that the Centre has forwarded its letter to Director General of Police (DGP) directing him to process the transfer of the case to the NIA.

A senior official requesting anonymity said, “This is a political decision made by the Central government. The state home department does not have much say in it as the Centre’s decision would prevail.”

Speaking to reporters in Mantralaya, Mr Chavan  said, “The centre is encroaching upon the state government’s jurisdiction. It is not appropriate.”

He also raised question over the timing of this decision. The case was transferred to NIA  two days after state home minister Anil Deshmukh announced a reinvestigation of the matter.

Mr Chavan later reiterated that the Centre should have consulted the state home minister on the matter.

On a question regarding Congress leader Milind Deora’s letter to party’s interim president Sonia Gandhi, Mr Chavan said that the government has just completed a month.

“We have to start implementing the agenda of CMP. A coordination committee has been formed. My colleague Balasaheb Thorat and I, two members from Shiv Sena and NCP each, are a part of the committee. The committee will hold a meeting and review the manifestos whether it is being implemented or not,” the senior Congress leader said.