New Delhi:
Jharkhand, ruled by Congress, on Thursday became the latest state to revoke the blanket consent given to the Central Bureau of Investigation to conduct investigations in the state, joining the ranks of other opposition-ruled states that have effectively closed their doors to the agency.
The move, which makes it necessary for the central agency to obtain permission from the state government to conduct investigations in the state, comes a day after Kerala also removed the privilege.
Previously, several other opposition-ruled states, including Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and most recently Maharashtra and Rajasthan, had withdrawn blanket consent, claiming that the BJP-led government in the center was misusing the agency to harass to political opponents.
Tripura and Mizoram have also revoked general consent in the past.
Bengal withdrew general consent in 2018, following in the footsteps of the former Chandrababu Naidu government in Andhra Pradesh.
Naidu had withdrawn blanket consent in November 2018, months after withdrawing from the NDA, accusing the center of undermining the agency’s credibility for its own benefits.
Andhra Pradesh, however, overturned the measure after Jaganmohan Reddy’s government came to power last year.
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