Rajeev Pratap Rudy at the news meet in Patna on Monday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, July 1: The BJP has opposed the Centre’s decision to select the CBI director through a collegiate of retired judges.

“The Union government has ignored the recommendations of the select committee of Parliament in which the BJP’s stand is clear. We have demanded that the CBI should be kept in the preview of the Lokpal,” said BJP general secretary Rajeev Pratap Rudy, adding that the Centre had not shown any inclination to extend autonomy to the CBI and insulate it from political interference. “The CBI remains the Congress bureau of investigation,” Rudi quipped.

However, Rudi’s choicest barbs were reserved for chief minister Nitish Kumar. “I would like to apologise to the JD(U) MLAs and workers for the humiliation they had to face from Nitish when the alliance existed. It was on the strength of 92 BJP MLAs that Nitish could afford to be autocratic and insulting in his behaviour to his own party MLAs and MPs. Since it was in the name of the BJP, I thought it appropriate to apologise to them. Perhaps now they will receive a better treatment from the chief minister,” Rudy said, wondering why Nitish was not expanding his ministry even as the post of deputy chief minister was vacant. “It is quite possible he feels threatened by a revolt in his own party if he expands his own ministry,” Rudy said.

The BJP leader said that his party was not alone in feeling “betrayed” by the chief minister.

“Lalu Prasadji played a key role in building up Nitish’s political career. He left Lalu long back. Does anyone recall how he dumped former chief minister Abdul Gafoor? It was Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Prime Minister who allotted a house for Gafoor saheb in Delhi where he died in obscurity. Nitish also betrayed George Fernandes, his political guru. He even refused to give a ticket to Digvijaya Singh,” Rudy added.

The BJP leader also took strong exceptions to the Congress leaders criticising leader of the opposition Sushma Swaraj for not visiting Uttarakhand. “The Union home minister had clearly advised VIPs from visiting the place as it hampered rescue and relief work,” he said.