Meghalaya says no to CBI without consent, becomes 9th state to declare so

New Delhi: Despite being a party that associate with the BJP in the National Democratic Alliance, Conrad Sangma-led National People's Party in Meghalaya has withdrawn the consent given to the CBI to investigate without state permission. Meghalaya is the ninth state that has withdrawn the consent.

Earlier, Mizoram, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Kerala had withdrawn consent. All the states except Mizoram are being run by the opposition parties.

The allegation over the CBI as being biased to favouring the BJP led Union government, and impartial in its investigations are said to be the reasons for the Opposition parties to say no to the Central investigation agency. The CBI is also accused of being a tool in the hands of the Centre to target opposition leaders.

The withdrawal of the consent to the CBI came after the Congress' demand for a CBI inquiry into the alleged corruption in the implementation of the Soubhagya Scheme in the state, in which Chief Minister Conrad Sangma's brother has been involved. The scheme aims at providing electricity connections to all households, urban and rural, in the country.

Allegations against his brother forced the Chief Minister to divest James of the Home portfolio. James has also been accused of running a syndicate to carry out illegal mining and transportation of coal surfaced.

Mizoram was the first state to withdraw this in 2015. The state was ruled by the Congress at the time and the chief minister then was Lal Thanhawla. In 2018, the Mizo National Front (MNF) under Zoramthanga came to power, but despite his party being an NDA ally, the consent to the CBI was not restored.

In 2018, Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal had done away with the CBI consent which was accorded to it by the previous Left government. The consent withdrawal of Mamata followed the N Chandrababu Naidu's announcement of similar measures in Andhra Pradesh.