Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma today criticised the Centre over the CBI raids on journalist Prannoy Roy's residence by saying that a "blatant misuse of power" was taking place in the country.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today raided the residence of Roy, the founder of NDTV, in New Delhi and three other locations in connection with losses allegedly caused by the journalist to a private bank.
The NDTV called it a "witch-hunt" based on the "same old false accusations".
Sharma alleged that the raids showed that a "blatant abuse of power" was taking place.
"Centralisation of decision-making is happening at the Centre. The media and the other voices of dissent are being muzzled. A warning is being sent to the media outlets to fall in line or face a similar fate," the Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha told reporters here today.
"The government machinery is being misused and an environment of fear is being created through the (investigation) agencies," he alleged.
"Many of their (BJP) chief ministers and other ministers have serious allegations against them. Why no inquiry is being conducted in those cases?," the former Union minister asked.
"When somebody questions them, they become anti- nationals. We never did this when we were in power. Those who had no contribution towards India's freedom have no right to preach nationalism," he said.
The CBI has registered a case against Roy, his wife Radhika and RRPR Holdings Pvt. Ltd for allegedly causing a loss of Rs 48 crore to ICICI Bank, sources in the probe agency told PTI.
They said the CBI was conducting searches at two places in the national capital and one each in Dehradun and Mussoorie in connection with the case.
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