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Journalism of Courage
Two days after the Income Tax raids on its Town and Country Planning Minister Babush Monserratte, the BJP government in Goa today withdrew consent to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to operate in the State.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told reporters that permission was being withdrawn under the provisions of the Delhi Police Act. The CBI will now be allowed to investigate only cases under the Centre’s purview, he added.
‘‘The CBI has become a puppet in the hands of the Central Government,’’ alleged Parrikar.
The CM added that he would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to complain about the raids. Monserratte’s homes and offices continue to remain sealed and I-T officials, who questioned the BJP Minister, took documents from his office for scrutiny.
I-T officials had also raided the house of former Congress MLA from Poinguinium, Isidore Fernandes, who quit his seat recently to join the BJP. The raids came close on the heels of allegations that Monserratte had forced Fernandes to quit the Congress, using the latter’s failure to repay a loan of Rs 38 lakh.
But Monserratte, who has long been associated with money-lending, had termed the allegation as a ‘‘conspiracy hatched by top Congress leaders to tarnish my image and that of the BJP.’’
