CBI raids residence of Manish Sisodia, other places regarding alleged irregularities in Delhi Excise Policy
The Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI’s) raids on multiple locations, including the residence of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, regarding the alleged wrongdoings in the Delhi Excise Policy will further fuel the controversy over the role of Central agencies. Sisodia, under whose charge the policy was formulated, has said that the CBI is “welcome” to probe. Typically, the Central government and the Bharatiya Janata Party will justify the action as part of the fight against corruption, whereas the Aam Aadmi Party and rest of the Opposition will decry this as ‘political vendetta.’ Be that as it may, the role of the agencies has to be streamlined in such a way that no questions are raised about their functioning. There was a time, not long ago, when the CBI was regarded as an agency whose officers were not just efficient but also incorruptible. This impression got reflected in several Hindi movies that were made till a few years ago. Some of the virtues attributed to the CBI officers may have been mythical but still it was largely seen as an organisation run by upright officers; that, sadly, doesn’t appear to be the case now. And then there is the Enforcement Directorate, which rarely had any image in folklore but now has become a byword for political targeting. The CBI, the ED, and other Central agencies ought to become not just bodies committed to the duties as laid down in their charters but also should have the reputation as such.
While the Opposition is quick to accuse the Narendra Modi government of using these agencies to achieve political ends, they have not come up with a positive, constructive mechanism to cure the malady. Everyone can see a problem—and keep bemoaning it along with the troubles that it brings in—but that doesn’t serve any purpose; the point is to solve it. Opposition leaders must come up with a solution, if they want it. But do they really want it in the first place? Or are they biding for their time, waiting for their turn in power so that they would use the same agencies to settle the scores with BJP leaders? After all, some of them did use the agencies in the past to victimise the people they didn’t like. But, if that is the case, that would be revenge, not justice. And, by the way, whatever happened to the institution called Lokpal? Remember the Anna Hazare movement, circa 2011? It was the time when the entire nation was told that Lokpal would be the panacea for corruption. From apolitical citizens to professional revolutionaries and all manner of activists—everyone was enthusiastic about the imminent Eden or Ramrajya. To be sure, Lokpal did come into being, but nobody knows what it is doing; its name hasn’t appeared in newspapers for a long time. As Ghalib wrote, “Hota hai shab-o-roz tamasha mire aage.” Get ready to witness another bout of political mud-slinging.