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Journalism of Courage
DAYS AFTER the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a preliminary enquiry (PE) to look into the alleged irregularities in setting up of the “feedback unit” under Delhi government’s vigilance department, the central agency Wednesday visited the office of the unit at Vikas Bhavan II in north Delhi, and took away all documents pertaining to the unit.
The feedback unit — formed soon after the AAP government came to power to “check corruption” — was allegedly set up without the knowledge of the chief secretary and other officials, and was directly under the Chief Minister’s Office.
Sources in the CBI said the PE was registered after the case was referred to them by former Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung. The agency is now scrutinising the documents recovered from the office premises to find out the alleged irregularities in setting it up, and the activities it carried out.
Reacting to the development, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and alleged that the CBI has “seized” files of the unit. “A day before Republic Day, Modiji seized all the files of the Delhi government’s feedback unit by sending CBI,” Kejriwal tweeted.
In a recent interview to India Today, Jung had said there was “fear” and “suspicion” over the formation of the feedback unit, proposed by the Arvind Kejriwal government in March-April 2015.
“No state government can put up a counter-IB (Intelligence Bureau) unit like this. If they have surveillance over me or you, it’s completely illegal. This is a violation of right to privacy. This is a very serious matter. I cannot, because I do not like you, tap your phone,” Jung had said.
“Because it sounded horrendous, the Kejriwal government balked. Four months later, they changed their mind, and the unit was set up through a Cabinet resolution in a smaller form with fewer people and smaller cars. It was worrying that the unit would report only to the Chief Minister,” he had said.
Under scanner
Before demitting office, former Delhi L-G Najeeb Jung had referred seven cases — including the alleged irregularities in setting up the feedback unit — against the AAP government to the CBI.
The appointment of Health Minister Satyendar Jain’s daughter as the in-charge of mohalla clinics; appointment of Dr Nikunj Aggarwal, a senior resident at Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya, as OSD to the health minister; the ‘Talk to AK’ programme and the appointment of an agency to hire security staff at hospitals are among the other cases that the former L-G referred to the CBI.
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