Mumbai, Oct 24 (IANS): The opposition Congress on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Modi accusing him of "a desperate cover-up attempt" over the Rafale deal and pushing the country's premier probe agency, the CBI, into complete disarray.

Speaking to mediapersons here, Congress national spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said: "A scared and panic-stricken PMO forced the CBI Director to go on leave at 2 a.m. and transferred a dozen officers, to frantically bury the corruption track. This is the infamous 'Modi Made Gujarat Model' for cloak-and-dagger mugging of CBI to stifle, subjugate and suppress India's premier investigative agency."

He pointed out that the judiciary, Central Vigilance Commissioner, the National Investigation Agency, Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax, CBDT or SFIO -- the Modi government has undermined each institution and surreptitiously infiltrated his 'yes men'.

"But facts have a habit to cut through the fog. The only fact is that PM Modi is petrified that the No. 1 in the CBI was about to take steps that might have hurt him in the Rafale scam," Surjewala stated.

Questioning the need to remove the CBI Director in a "tearing hurry" without the approval of the Selection Committee and by violating the Supreme Court judgement, Surjewala demanded: "Why was an interim (CBI) chief appointed at 2 a.m.? Does it not tantamount to complete trashing of Constitutional norms?"

The Congress leader also charged Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Law Minister Ravishankar Prasad with attempting to cover up the entire issue that has shaken the political establishment.

"The No 2 in the CBI is clearly an accused, this 'Godhra-SIT fame' and 'Vijay Mallya hand-shake famed' person is the only accused in this case. The No 1 was probing the allegations against the No 2. Now, No 2 wakes up and makes counter-allegations in cahoots with the Modi government and CVC," Surjewala said.

"Will the self-professed legal eagles - Arun Jaitley and Ravi Shankar Prasad - give an apology of a weak defence of cleaning the system to justify the PM's panic reaction on Rafale Scam?" he asked.

The Congress spokesperson was accompanied by Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam and other senior leaders during the media briefing.