MUMBAI: Maharashtra government has decided to withdraw the general consent clause for Central Bureau of Investigation to probe any case in the state. Henceforth, the CBI has to take permission from state government if they want to probe any case in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi are at loggerhead with the BJP central government over various issues and the state home department has issued the notifications withdrawing the general consent clause for CBI to investigate any case in Maharashtra. Earlier the same decision was taken by the West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh government.
Under the Delhi Special Police establishment Act 1946, it was not necessary for the central agency to seek the consent from the state government to conduct the probe of any case. Now, Maharashtra government has withdrawn this general consent clause and issued the fresh notification on Wednesday.
Sources said that the state government has to protect its interest in federal structure.
"The central government is continuously eroding and encroaching over the right of the state government by taking over any sort of sensitive probes. Central had done this with the Bhima Koreogan case. Maharashtra government wanted to probe this case by setting Special Investigating Team but NIA took over this investigation. In TRP scam also, CBI was planning to take over just like the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. But we do not want remain silent before the central government and therefore this decision was taken ," said a senior minister of Maha Vikas Aghadi requesting anonymity.
Last week, NCP chief Sharad Pawar met Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Congress president and revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat at Varsha bungalow where this decision to withdrawing the general consent was taken.