Senior Congress leader and former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on 16 October 2019 in the money laundering case. She was later released on bail. Now the same P Chidambaram is opposing giving more powers to ED and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). P Chidambaram, who arrived at the launch of a book on Friday, agreed on the need for reforms and said that the officers working in the state are good but why do they become bad after coming to the Centre? He further said that even a caged parrot can sometimes become a pitbull.
Chidambaram said many important things in the discussion organized on the occasion of the release of the book 'Policing the Republic' written by former Special Director of Intelligence Bureau (IB) Yashovardhan Azad. In this discussion, police reforms and alleged excesses by uniformed personnel were discussed. Chidambaram rejected the idea of giving more powers and autonomy to agencies like CBI and ED. However, he agreed with the need for internal reforms.
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What did Chidambaram say?
In response to a question related to police excesses, senior Congress leader Chidambaram said that there is a complete hierarchy in the police system from the station in-charge (SHO) to the Director General of Police (DGP). He said, 'The best officers work in CBI, most of whom come on deputation from the states. He is a good officer in the state. Why do they become bad officers after coming to the Centre? Because there is lack of monitoring and control. Even a caged parrot can sometimes turn into a pitbull.
He also said that he does not rule out political interference at the state level. Chidambaram also said that interference can take place at the central level but officials should keep in mind the hierarchy and discipline of their organization. Contradicting the words of Yashovardhan, who has written the book, Chidambaram said, 'I do not agree with Yashovardhan. It seems that he is influenced by CBI and ED and says that these agencies should be given more powers. I believe that if this happens, there will be chaos in the country.
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He further said, 'CBI and ED have violated their powers many times. They are lowering their own standards. Why are IAS and IPS officers unable to stand in front of leaders? There may be maximum transfer but they will not decapitate you. In my opinion, there is a need to keep an eye on CBI and ED. Like in America, the legislature keeps an eye on FBI and other institutions. I leave it to your imagination as to what will happen from this.