The Congress on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of working on the policy of "fear, defamation and intimidation" (FDI) after the CBI booked former finance secretary Arvind Mayaram in a corruption case, days after he walked with Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
"A former RBI governor walks in Bharat Jodo Yatra, BJP attacks him. A retired Army general does - he's maligned. Now a former finance secretary who joined is booked by the CBI," Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh said.
"Modi's FDI policy - Fear, Defamation and Intimidation - is at work here. This is the mindset of a coward. But BJY will roll on," he said on Twitter.
The CBI on Thursday conducted searches at the premises of Mayaram after filing an FIR against him and a UK-based company for alleged corruption in the supply of exclusive colour shift security thread for Indian bank notes, officials said.
The CBI, in its FIR, alleged that Mayaram, the UK-based company De La Rue International Ltd and unidentified officials of the finance ministry and RBI hatched a criminal conspiracy to extend undue favour to the firm.
The agency alleged that Mayaram as finance secretary granted an "illegal" three years extension to an "expired contract" with the company for supplying exclusive colour shift security thread without taking any mandatory security clearance from home ministry or informing the then finance minister, the officials said.
The extension granted by Mayaram was allegedly the fourth, the FIR said.
The CBI registered the FIR under IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy and cheating and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. It was followed by searches at Jaipur and Delhi residence of the 1978-batch retired IAS officer, days after he had joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
