BJP leaders court arrest protesting 'misuse' of CBI

Scores of BJP leaders and activists today courted arrest here while protesting the alleged misuse of CBI by central government.

Led by BJP Delhi chief OP Kohli and senior leader Vijay Goel, activists marched towards Parliament and courted arrest at Jantar Mantar where they held a public meeting.

Addressing the protestors Goel alleged that the UPA was "misusing" the CBI in giving clean chit to Ottavio Quattrocchi in Bofor's scandal and Jagdish Tytler in anti-Sikh riots.

He alleged that the government was not doing anything on the Rs7,000 crore 2G Spectrum scam. "CBI is the only friend of the UPA government," he said.

"To save its government from defeat during the cut motions in the Lok Sabha, UPA asked the CBI to bring out files of Lalu Prasad, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati and coerced them to support the government," BJP National general secretary and former MP Tawarchand Gehlot said.

He said misuse of CBI was tantamount to mutilating the Constitution.

BJP MPs had met president Pratibha Patil on May 7 and submitted a memorandum over alleged misuse of CBI by the government in the Sohrabuddin encounter case and against leaders facing disproportionate assets cases.

During the meeting, BJP parliamentary party leader LK Advani had explained to Patil the gist of the memorandum and why the MPs felt it necessary to complain to her about the "misuse" of CBI by the government.