CBI questions Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat for 5 hours

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat was Tuesday subjected to more than five hours of questioning by the CBI in connection with probe into a sting operation. CBI sources later claimed Rawat did not fully answer some questions. Accompanied by a few supporters, Rawat arrived at the CBI headquarters at 11 am. He was questioned till 4 pm. He was reportedly asked about his apparent ties with the owner of a news channel and the alleged bribe proposal made to one dissident MLA by him and a minister in his cabinet. “Harish Rawat was examined in connection with inquiry in the alleged sting operation. Further examination will continue. He will be called again,” CBI spokesperson Devpreet Singh said. Sources in the agency later claimed that Rawat could not “furnish full and complete details” on many issues, and has been called again. This was countered by Rawat, who claimed that he had fully cooperated with the CBI. “I need not produce any evidence. I have neither done any horse trading nor given any money to anyone. I never said I want MLAs. I will come again on June 7. People of electronic media reach anywhere. I accorded that journalist respect and he blackmailed me. Media needs to ponder over this,” he said. He added that he could not come on May 9 as he was engaged in the floor test preparations. Later, addressing a gathering in Delhi, Rawat said, “We are not here to fight (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji or (BJP chief) Amit Shah. But if they keep pinching us, they should not forget that sometimes even an ant can trouble an elephant.” CBI had registered a preliminary inquiry in connection with the alleged sting operation purportedly showing Rawat offering bribes to rebel Congress lawmakers to support him during a floor test in the Uttarakhand Assembly.