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BJP ready to face probe in Coalgate
The BJP on Sunday raised the pitch for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s resignation and dared the Government to order a CBI probe into recommendations by its State Governments for allotment of coal block, if there was any malafide. The Opposition party also defended its strategy for Parliament and said there was no point in debating the issue when Singh continues to remain the PM.
“I have absolutely no hesitation that if there has been a malafide allocation of coal where the State Government may have made a recommendation, please go ahead and make an inquiry,” BJP leader Yashwant Sinha told Karan Thapar in Devil’s Advocate programme on CNN-IBN.
Sinha said it was the duty of the State Governments to make recommendations on allocation of coal blocks, but it was the Congress-led Government at the Centre that had to take a final decision on the coal block bidding issue, which it held back for eight years.
The former Finance Minister reiterated that Manmohan Singh, who was the Coal Minister at the time such coal block allocations were made, should take the moral responsibility and resign. “There is a criminal liability and there is a moral constitutional accountability. What we are demanding today of the Prime Minister is to resign on the issue of morality, on the issue of accountability,” he said.
Sinha also defended the BJP action of stalling Parliament, saying it was the same that the Congress did at the time the Coffingate issue came up during NDA regime. “You are saying we are not discussing it in Parliament. No we are not. You are accusing us of obstructing Parliament. I will take you back to what happened when the so-called Coffingate issue came up. They (Congress) are criticising the CAG today. The CAG was the dearest agency that they had in the Coffingate issue. Have you forgotten Tehelka,” Sinha said.
Former BJP Chief Rajnath Singh said as inaction has become the norm and corrupt gets shielded, the Opposition was left with no other option but to do anything to make itself heard by the people of India.” If the UPA Government does not mend its ways, the country could be heading towards mid-term polls,” Singh said.
The former Union Minister dismissed criticism of the BJP for disrupting the Parliament and said it was the Government’s responsibility to ensure smooth functioning of Parliament. “The BJP has demanded for PM’s resignation after the CAG expose but the UPA-II has opted for a direct confrontation with the Opposition. Congress-led UPA Government has made a mockery of all parliamentary traditions,” he said.
BJP spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy also dismissed that BJP was avoiding discussion in Parliament on coal blocks issue. “I can understand this charge of the Congress party that we are trying to shy away from Parliament. It is an absolute diversionary tactic. We are clear that we want a debate. But under the present conditions, we feel the Congress is using Parliament to legitimise corruption,” he said.
The BJP on Sunday raised the pitch for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s resignation and dared the Government to order a CBI probe into recommendations by its State Governments for allotment of coal block, if there was any malafide. The Opposition party also defended its strategy for Parliament and said there was no point in debating the issue when Singh continues to remain the PM.
“I have absolutely no hesitation that if there has been a malafide allocation of coal where the State Government may have made a recommendation, please go ahead and make an inquiry,” BJP leader Yashwant Sinha told Karan Thapar in Devil’s Advocate programme on CNN-IBN.
Sinha said it was the duty of the State Governments to make recommendations on allocation of coal blocks, but it was the Congress-led Government at the Centre that had to take a final decision on the coal block bidding issue, which it held back for eight years.
The former Finance Minister reiterated that Manmohan Singh, who was the Coal Minister at the time such coal block allocations were made, should take the moral responsibility and resign. “There is a criminal liability and there is a moral constitutional accountability. What we are demanding today of the Prime Minister is to resign on the issue of morality, on the issue of accountability,” he said.
Sinha also defended the BJP action of stalling Parliament, saying it was the same that the Congress did at the time the Coffingate issue came up during NDA regime. “You are saying we are not discussing it in Parliament. No we are not. You are accusing us of obstructing Parliament. I will take you back to what happened when the so-called Coffingate issue came up. They (Congress) are criticising the CAG today. The CAG was the dearest agency that they had in the Coffingate issue. Have you forgotten Tehelka,” Sinha said.
Former BJP Chief Rajnath Singh said as inaction has become the norm and corrupt gets shielded, the Opposition was left with no other option but to do anything to make itself heard by the people of India.” If the UPA Government does not mend its ways, the country could be heading towards mid-term polls,” Singh said.
The former Union Minister dismissed criticism of the BJP for disrupting the Parliament and said it was the Government’s responsibility to ensure smooth functioning of Parliament. “The BJP has demanded for PM’s resignation after the CAG expose but the UPA-II has opted for a direct confrontation with the Opposition. Congress-led UPA Government has made a mockery of all parliamentary traditions,” he said.
BJP spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy also dismissed that BJP was avoiding discussion in Parliament on coal blocks issue. “I can understand this charge of the Congress party that we are trying to shy away from Parliament. It is an absolute diversionary tactic. We are clear that we want a debate. But under the present conditions, we feel the Congress is using Parliament to legitimise corruption,” he said.
