Bokaro case: Paswan unfazed, BJP accuses govt of misusing CBI

New Delhi: LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan on Wednesday appeared unfazed over his name cropping up in the case of alleged illegalities in Bokaro plant recruitment process even as BJP rushed to his defence accusing UPA of misusing CBI to target him as it had done with its other opponents.

Paswan, who is in seat sharing talks for Bihar and appears set to align with BJP for the upcoming General Elections, has come under the CBI lens following recovery of some documents which, agency sources claimed, indicate that his staff may have been actively involved in extending favours to some candidates. CBI sources have said that documents submitted by some successful candidates have Paswan`s seals, his official address 12, Janpath and supporting letters from his staff recommending their names for the position in the Bokaro steel plant. "What can I say? Anyone can give anyone`s address...I won`t like to make any comment on that," Paswan said when asked about it during a press conference on the alliance issue at his residence today. Paswan was Union minister for chemicals, fertilisers and steel during the UPA government between May 2004 and May 2009 and these allegedly fraudulent appointments were made during his tenure. Reacting to the issue, BJP alleged that Congress utilises "the services of CBI against its political opponents". "Paswan is the latest example of misuse of CBI by Congress," senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu told reporters in Vijayawada apparently hinting that Paswan was being harrassed following reports that he was contemplating joining hands with the party. The former BJP chief said, "Till the time former Chief Minister Andhra Pradesh YS Rajasekhara Reddy was at the helm of affairs, there was no inquiry against his son Jaganmohan Reddy. However, after his father`s demise, Jagan snapped ties with the Congress and the government ordered a CBI inquiry into his assets. "Till the time Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati support UPA, there would be no CBI inqiry against them. They even tried to issue clean chit to them through CBI," Naidu said. CBI should be kept as an independent investigation agency and not be misused for political purposes, Naidu said, adding, "People will definitely teach a lesson to the Congress in the coming elections." In January, CBI had registered two separate cases related to alleged irregularities in the appointments in the middle and junior management level in the public sector undertaking in 2008 in which a former Executive Director of the plant and other former senior officers have also been named as accused.