Amaravati: The YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government Thursday cancelled a controversial government order issued by the previous Chandrababu Naidu-led dispensation and paved the way for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe various cases in Andhra Pradesh.
Earlier, November 8, 2018, the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had issued a government order (GO) withdrawing the ‘general consent’ accorded to the CBI to carry out investigations and raids in the state.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946, the government hereby withdraws the general consent accorded (in GO Ms 109) to all the members of the Delhi Special Police Establishment to exercise the powers and jurisdiction under the said Act in the state of Andhra Pradesh,” the GO had said.
The YSR Congress which assumed power May 30, issued a fresh order Thursday cancelling the GO 176 issued November 8. Based on the directions of Jagan, special chief secretary Manmohan Singh issued GO 81 to this effect.
“The order issued November 8, 2018 is hereby cancelled under the provisions of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946,” the GO said.
The CBI will now have all powers to take up corruption and other cases in AP. The premier investigative agency functions under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act.
Under Section 6 of the Act, a state government ‘routinely’ grants consent to the CBI for exercising its authority in the state and the AP government, too, had issued relevant orders periodically.
Ever since he snapped ties with the Narendra Modi-led NDA government in March last year, Naidu had been alleging that the Centre was misusing agencies like the CBI to target political opponents.
The raids by Income Tax authorities on some business establishments, run by those close to the ruling TDP, had left Naidu red-faced. Subsequently, he announced that his government would not provide police cover to the IT officials for conducting the raids.
Opposition parties had decried the move and asserted the state government did not have the authority to bar the CBI. The YSR Congress, the main opposition party then, had alleged the controversial decision was taken only because the chief minister was scared of the CBI.
PTI