General consent for CBI probe withdrawn by Rajasthan government

Jaipur, July 21: The Ashok Gehlot government has withdrawn its "general consent" to the CBI to conduct raids and investigations in Rajasthan, a development which comes amid the political crisis in the state.

The state government issued a notification requiring the CBI to take prior consent of the state government for investigation of an offence under section three of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946.

According to the officials, the "general consent" of the state government will no longer be valid in the offences under this law. Consent will have to be taken on a case-by-case basis.

Additional chief secretary Home Rohit Kumar Singh said, "Its administrative provisions were already there, it was notified yesterday."

Officials said that in June 1990 too the then Rajasthan government had refused to give such "general consent" to the Centre.

The BJP has questioned the Rajasthan government's move, saying there is "indirect emergency" in the state.

"The way the state government misused the SOG and the ACB and it was afraid of CBI action ... There is something fishy," BJP state president Satish Poonia told reporters.

The ruling Congress is facing a rebellion by party leader Sachin Pilot and 18 other MLAs against chief minister Ashok Gehlot. A probe by the state police into horse trading charges based on purported tapped conversation of some leaders has turned the situation murkier.

A similar action related to CBI had been taken by West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh governments in 2018, alleging that the Centre was misusing the agency to harass opponents.