The Opposition BJP has launched a Twitter campaign called Daal mein kuch kaala hai (something fishy) in reaction to the Hemant Soren government’s decision to revoke the general consent accorded to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the country’s premier investigating agency, for taking up investigations in Jharkhand without its prior consent.

On Thursday, the state home department notified an order revoking the consent given to the central agency by exercising powers conferred under Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act 1946 (25 of 1946). A general consent to investigate cases in the state was granted to the CBI way back in 1996 in undivided Bihar.

The JMM-Congress-RJD ruling coalition has reasoned that the move is in view of the increasing trend of the CBI’s alleged misuse by the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre to harass non-BJP-ruled states out of political vendetta.

Besides Jharkhand, a few other states, namely Maharashtra, Bengal, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Mizoram, had already withdrawn consent to the CBI in recent times, thereby clipping its powers to operate in their respective jurisdictions without approval.

Babulal Marandi, the former Jharkhand chief minister and current leader of the BJP legislative party, on Friday said the sudden decision to clip the CBI’s powers in the state suggested that the Hemant government was nervous of its wrongdoings and might be trying to save those engaged in acts of corruption.

He said: “I would have welcomed (the move) if the state government had strengthened the investigative agencies to show its commitment towards curbing corruption, Naxal menace, etc. but the sudden urgency to restrain the CBI makes one believe that the ruling dispensation is trying to shield and hide something big…something’s fishy (daal mein kuch toh kaala hai).” His reactions on Twitter earlier in the day too used the “daal mein kuch toh kaala hai” punch line.

Marandi added that a few months ago, the CBI conducted nationwide raids against businessman Amit Agarwal in connection with illegal money transactions and had also reportedly seized a diary from his residence in Bengal.

“In power corridors, Agarwal is said to be close to Hemant Sorenji and takes care of his financial interests. In fact, it is also said that Agarwal is the proxy chief minister. Probably, Hemant is nervous after the CBI seized the diary,” Marandi claimed, adding that more than the BJP, it is the MLAs of the ruling party who in recent months have been crying hoarse about corruption and lawlessness in the state.

On the new restrictions on the CBI, state BJP president Deepak Prakash too posed a question to the Hemant government: “Hujur ne Jharkhand mein CBI ke pravesh pe bhi pabandi laga di hai. Kahin daal mein kuch kaala toh nahi? (Sir has curbed the entry of the CBI in Jharkhand. Is there something fishy?)” Several other BJP leaders too commented on similar lines using the same tagline to snub the ban.