New Delhi: A day after CNN-IBN revealed that the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) affidavit on coal block allocation scam says the Law Minister allegedly vetted the probe agency's status report on the scam, the main Opposition the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) parliamentary party has decided that its MPs will continue to press for the ouster of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Law Minister Ashwani Kumar.
The CBI's affidavit is also set to tell the Supreme Court that the probe agency's report on coal block allocation scam was allegedly shared with the Law Ministry on its request, a charge the Congress has been rejecting. The CBI affidavit will also include the original status report on the coal block allocation scam, which concluded that there was a lack of transparency in the Centre's coal policy. The role of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the government in coal allocations is also part of the CBI report.
A parliamentary panel will submit its report on the scam in Parliament on Tuesday. There could be trouble both for the UPA and NDA as the report says all the coal blocks distributed between 1993 and 2008 were unauthorised and not done in a transparent manner.
The report also observes that no bidding process was held for coal allocations. Though it is not binding on the government, the report recommends that those involved directly or indirectly should be investigated.
It also says that all coal mine allocations where production is yet to be begin, should be cancelled. The report does not name a presumptive loss figure, however.
In March, the CBI had said in its status report that many companies were given coal blocks through false representations and that there was no rationale for allocation of the blocks. The Supreme Court had ordered the CBI not to share the report with the government. It has also asked the Centre to explain why a small group of companies were favoured.
Top CBI sources told CNN-IBN that if asked, they will tell the SC that the Law Minister had indeed vetted the report on the scam. Earlier in April, a report in a national daily had said the CBI status report was vetted by Ashwani Kumar and officials of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) but the Congress had distanced itself saying the matter is pending in court.
Questions have also been raised about the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's own knowledge about the entire coal scam probe report. The BJP has been demanding resignation of the Law Minister in the wake of reports that he had summoned the CBI chief after which the report on the scam was "toned down". Congress had rejected the charge of interference and has ruled out resignation of the Law Minister.
The BJP Parliamentary Party which met in New Delhi under the chairmanship of LK Advani passed a resolution in this regard and charged the government with suppressing the truth from coming out in the coal scam. The opposition party had stalled Parliament on Monday over the issue and demanded that the Law Minister make a statement on his alleged role in vetting the CBI affidavit for the Supreme Court on the coal scam investigation.
"The BJP Parliamentary Party today has resolved that in the light of the series of scams and the present way in which the government has sought to suppress the truth from coming out, Dr Manmohan Singh must resign and the Law Minister Ashwani Kumar must be sacked," BJP Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters after the meeting.
He said the party has formally demanded that the PM must resign and the Law Minister be sacked. Prasad said the party is of the opinion that the UPA government under Singh has "destroyed" and "subverted" every institution in the country.
"The UPA government first indulges in corruption and then subverts institutions to suppress the truth. It stands exposed before the country. The UPA government has forfeited its right to govern. BJP demands that the Prime Minister and the Law Minister resign immediately," the BJP leader said.
Stepping up its attack, he said the government only wants a discussion on corruption and is not ready for any honest audit on it. He attacked the Law Minister, saying, "Since when does CBI need an English tutor like the Law Minister to correct the English of its affidavit."
Prasad alleged, "The Prime Minister's Office and the Law Minister have blatently interfered in the functioning of the CBI while investigating the coal block allocation scam."
The BJP Parliamentary Party also discussed the JPC draft report on 2G and former Telecom Minister A Raja's contention that whatever actions he took were in the knowledge of the Prime Minister and decisions taken after consulting him. Asked if it would raise the issue again in Parliament, Prasad said, "We will raise the matter. This government is running away. It does not want an honest discussion. This government does not allow us to question it on the irregularities committed by it. We will not support the government."
(With Additional Inputs From PTI)
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