The perception that the CBI is used or misused by the party in power at the Centre is "unfortunate", former director of the premier investigative agency, DR Karthikeyan, said today.
Replying to a query on the charges reportedly levelled by former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala that the Narendra Modi government was misusing CBI just as Congress had done while in power, Karthikeyan said, "It is a perception which is unfortunate."
"It is a judicial decision in the case of Chauthala. CBI is not coming into the picture," he said.
Asked why opposition parties always raise the charge of the misuse of CBI by the party in power at the Centre, Karthikeyan said it was a case of perceptions.
To a question as to whether the government had exerted any pressure on the agency when he was heading it, Karthikeyan said, "No. There was no pressure on CBI by any government."
Chautala surrendered in Tihar jail yesterday after Delhi High Court issued directions to him for violating his bail conditions by campaigning for Assembly polls in the state.
Earlier, CBI had moved court for cancellation of the interim bail granted to Chautala.
The agency had claimed that Chautala was campaigning for the Haryana Assembly elections in violation of his bail conditions.
NDA partner Shiromani Akali Dal has alleged that CBI was "misused" to stop Chautala from campaigning for the Haryana polls.
