Thiruvananthapuram: The CPM-led Kerala government has decided to withdraw the general consent accorded to the Central Bureau of Investigation for registering cases in the state. The decision was taken by the state cabinet which met here on Wednesday.

The decision will not affect the ongoing investigations by the central agency in the state. However, it will have to get prior permission from the state government or a court to take up cases in the state in future.

The decision comes amid the ongoing investigation into the allegations of commission in the state government's Life Mission housing scheme.

The CBI investigates cases as per the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act. As is the convention, the agency requires the permission of local governments to investigate cases in states. Most states, including Kerala, have given a general consent in advance. The CPM had demanded that this consent be withdrawn. The CPM-led LDF government alleges that the recent intervention of ED and CBI in a slew of cases in Kerala has political motives.

With the latest decision, which is likely to trigger a huge political controversy, Kerala has joined West Bengal, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra to withdraw the general consent to CBI. 

West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh withdrew the general consent to CBI in late 2018 alleging that the BJP-led central government was misusing the agency to harass opponents. Andhra, however, revoked the decision last year when the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government came into power.

Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, both ruled by the Congress, withdrew the general consent to CBI in January 2019 and July 2020 respectively.

Maharashtra, where the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance is in power, took a similar decision recently as the CBI initiated a probe into the TRP scam in the state.