The Quint spoke to Arun Shourie, the veteran writer and former cabinet minister, about the government’s move to divest CBI Director Alok Verma of his powers.

In Shourie’s opinion, the government has contrived the whole CBI vs CBI narrative, which is just a cover-up to obstruct Verma’s investigations which have discomfited the government.

He also attacks the rationale offered by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for the move, arguing that there can be no question of protecting institutional integrity when the government had inserted Rakesh Asthana into the CBI, who had then created conflict with other officers.

Finally, he warns that the move against Verma is part of a targeted plan of suborning investigative agencies by the Modi government, and if they succeed at suborning the CBI as well, it’s “the last nail in the coffin” for the rule of law in India.