CBI chief Alok Verma under CVC lens after colleague files complaint // 200-Member Government Team Is Watching How the Media Covers Modi, Amit Shah
The Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) director Alok Verma is facing Central Vigilance Commission
(CVC) probe after a complaint filed by his colleague. Special Director
Rakesh Asthana has alleged that Verma has sought to impede his functioning,
interfere in investigations and malign his reputation on the basis of
unverified facts. The action was initiated by the CVC after Asthana wrote a
letter to the Centre. As special director,
Asthana heads a Special Investigation Team that is probing high-profile cases
such as the Kingfisher and AgustaWestland investigations, among others.
According to reports, Asthana has also alleged that Verma asked to call off the
planned raids against RJD supremo Lalu Prasad in Patna last year at the
eleventh hour. The CVC has initiated a primary inquiry, though the CBI
spokesperson has refuted all the claims... read more:
200-Member Government Team Is Watching How the Media Covers Modi, Amit Shah
New Delhi: Located right next to the Central Bureau of Investigation’s headquarters in Delhi is Soochna Bhawan and on its tenth floor is ground zero – the war room from where the government carries out its operation of monitoring television news channels across the country, day after day, 24×7. There’s a 200-member team that does just that. In recent days there’s been a new development, the first of its kind in four years – the cell phones of the monitoring team are now being confiscated right at the entrance. And in a first, their supervisor, an additional director general from the information and broadcasting ministry, has warned them in no uncertain terms that there should not be a repeat of the explosive information breach that occurred recently when details pertaining to the monitoring of the primetime programme, ‘Masterstroke’, were leaked to the programme’s editor.
Members of this
monitoring team are subjected to six-monthly contracts despite having worked
for several years, and now there is a move to eject the 10-15 individuals who
have been demanding permanent employment and a salary hike. There may be
dissension over working conditions but there is no confusion about the brief the
team members have to follow. The instructions are crystal clear – to prepare
daily reports tracking which of the channels show Prime Minister Narendra Modi
and Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah, in what manner and for how
long. Unable to quell his own yearnings, I&B minister Rajyavardhan Rathore
too has a separate report prepared along those lines – which channel shows him,
in what manner and for how long... read more:
https://thewire.in/media/narendra-modi-amit-shah-media-watch-punya-prasun-bajpai