Claiming that the BJP-led NDA government has never interfered in the functioning of CBI, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram today accused Congress leaders of trying to extract political mileage by "distorting" the meaning of his remarks on CBI probe into scams in Odisha.
"I am surprised that senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, and Prasad Harichandan, president, Odisha Congress, have tried to extract political mileage on the statement made by me on CBI probe into much talked chit fund and mining scam in Odisha after distorting its meaning," Oram said in a statement here.
His statement came hours after Ramesh, in Delhi, accused the Centre of "blackmailing" the Naveen Patnaik dispensation to get BJD's support in Parliament, and sought Supreme Court-monitored probes.
Stating that Congress leaders do not seem to have carefully examined what he said and what he later clarified, Oram said, "My contention was that the BJD should have thanked BJP because it did not use CBI the way Congress was using it for political gain."
"Had BJP misused the CBI the way Congress-led UPA had done in the past, there is no doubt the CBI would have finished the BJD government already," he said.
Oram's reported statement that Odisha government should thank the Centre for "letting them off the hook" in the chitfund and mining scams had drawn strong crticisim from Congress which alleged that there was a "deal" between BJD and BJP.
Oram had later clarified yesterday, saying the "CBI going slow in chitfund and mining scam is the perception of the people. Not my own".
Claiming that Centre did not interfere in the functioning of CBI, Oram today said, "I also said even though a section of people are under impression that the probe into these scams by the CBI is slow, the NDA government has never interfered in the activities of the CBI."
The tribal leader also said that he had never questioned the integrity of the CBI. "I have rather stated the CBI is an independent organisation and it is investigating into this matter independently without pressure or influence," he said.
Dubbing the statement made by Jairam Ramesh and Prasad Harichandan as "false, politically motivated and based on distorted facts", Oram said the entire country knew that corruption was synonymous with Congress, whether in power or otherwise.
"Congress should know that our government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has zero tolerance against corruption and the government has already initiated several steps in this regard," Oram said.
