Vikrant Shekhawat : Oct 29, 2020, 10:21 AM
NEW DELHI: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Wednesday filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court against the Uttarakhand High court’s Tuesday order in which the State High Court had directed the CBI to register an FIR and conduct investigation over al leged cor rupt ion charges against him.The high court verdict came on two separate petitions filed by journalists Umesh Sharma and Shiv Prasad Semwal seeking quashing of FIR lodged against them in July.While quashing the FIR, the high court had ordered a CBI probe into the allegations levelled against Rawat.Sharma accused Rawat, who was then Jharkhand in-charge of the BJP, of alleged money transfers to accounts of his relatives in 2016 to support an appointment of a person in that state to head the Gau Seva Ayog.Meanwhile, opposition Indian National Congress lashed out at the CM and the BJP.State president of the party, Pritam Singh conducted a press conference in which he said that the CM should resign and the BJP does not care about people.“The CM talks about zero tolerance over corruption and now is the time when he should resign. The CM has no moral right to be in the office. We are trying to get appointment from honorable Governor to request her to ‘intervene’ in the matter,” said Pritam Singh.Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat said that the BJP government is neck deep in corruption.“The CM should resign from his office on moral grounds as the honorable court’s directions are very serious and explicit. If he fails to do so we will approach the Governor of the state requesting him to dismiss him.”Curious caseThe FIR against Umesh Sharma was lodged for posting a video on Facebook alleging that a man from Jharkhand deposited money after demonetisation into the bank account of a couple who are allegedly related to Rawat.A retired professor, had lodged the FIR against Sharma in Dehradun.