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Updated: Jun 04, 2019 08:16 IST

The new government in Andhra Pradesh headed by YSR Congress party president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has decided to restore the “general consent” for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to exercise its authority in the state.

Though an official order to this effect has not yet been issued, YSRC general secretary and Rajya Sabha member V Vijay Sai Reddy tweeted confirmation of the move on Monday.

The latest decision by Jagan is a reversal of an earlier order given by his predecessor and Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu in November last.

Sai Reddy, who is a confidant of Jagan tweeted that Naidu had taken up a big agitation to ensure that nobody should question his authority to do whatever he wanted.

“He banned CBI, stalled Income Tax department raids and fired at Enforcement Directorate. But now, Jagan is issuing orders allowing the CBI into the state, thereby making it clear that he will not spare the thieves. Are you listening, Mr Chandrababu Naidu,” he tweeted.

The CBI functions under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act. It needs states’ permission to conduct raids and take up investigations in state establishments and personnel. The state governments routinely renew the permission and there had never been controversy over it.

However, the previous TDP government in AP issued an order on November 8, stating that the general consent given to all the members of the Delhi Special Police Establishment to exercise the powers and jurisdiction under the said Act in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

As such, the the CBI and other central investigation agencies were barred for carrying out searches and conducting investigations in Andhra Pradesh. The general consent was earlier accorded to the CBI on August 3, 2018.

Interestingly, West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee also issued a similar order, a day after Naidu announced his decision to ban CBI. Both Naidu and Mamata were strongly resisting the alleged witch-hunting of political rivals by instigating the central agencies to conduct raids on them.