The Opposition on Wednesday stepped up the heat on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, asking him to agree for an examination by the CBI in the coalgate, lodge an FIR in connection with the missing coal files and cancel the arbitrary allotment of coal blocks that resulted in a loss of `1.86 lakh crore to the exchequer.
The Government agreed to allow MPs from both the Houses to make brief submissions after BJP members stalled proceedings and attacked the Prime Minister (PM) for his elusive statement on Tuesday.
An agreement to this effect was reached between the Government and the BJP during an afternoon meeting involving Union Ministers Kamal Nath, P Chidambaram and Opposition leaders lK Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Rajnath Singh, Jaswant Singh and M Venkaiah Naidu.
“The Prime Minister is coming under a cloud. If the Prime Minister wants to see himself come clean on this issue, he should himself come forward and offer to depose before the CBI,” Swaraj demanded.
“It is a matter of theft. That is why there should be an immediate FIR,” she said, adding: “The Government should tell us by when an FIR will be lodged.” The senior BJP leader claimed the PM was in the dock over the coalgate scam as all controversial allocations happened when he held additional charge of the Coal Ministry from 2006 to 2009.
Swaraj said there are reports that the Attorney-General has admitted that files pertaining to coal block allocations have gone missing and demanded that a list of all files that are missing be prepared. In Rajya Sabha, Swaraj’s counterpart Arun Jaitley, claimed documentary evidence was being destroyed and oral examination is not being permitted.
“Therefore, the entire result is that this case may lead to a dead end,” he said, adding: “The Prime Minister has said the Government has nothing to hide. Now it appears the Government has a lot to hide.”
In a joint statement issued later, the two leaders said: “The coal block allocation scam is becoming murkier and murkier.... The consequence of this (Chaurasia’s demand) is critical to the investigation. A substantially large number of files/documents/applications connected with the coal block allocation scam have disappeared. The documentary evidence is missing.”
JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav said the Government is not speaking in one voice and giving different statements. Dara Singh Chouhan (BSP) said it is a matter of concern and a proper investigation should be held.
Basudeb Acharia (CPI-M) demanded filing of an FIR without any delay. Saugata Roy (TMC) questioned Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal’s absence from the House when they made submission on such an important issue related to his Ministry.
M Thambidurai (AIADMK) asked the Government to take immediate action with regard to missing files. B Mahtab (BJD) wondered why the Government was not stipulating a “time frame” for finding the missing files. Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) asserted that files have been “removed” and are not missing or stolen.
Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) said the guilty need to be brought to book and for that a process of investigation has to start.
Naresh Agarwal (SP) said the Government does not seem to be serious about resolving the missing files issue. V Maitreyan (AIADMK) said the country needs an answer from the PM as to what were the reasons that led to the former law Minister’s resignation. D Raja (CPI) wanted to know if the investigation will continue without interference from the Government.
Earlier, the lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday saw repeated adjournments in pre-lunch session with members raising a din on issues including CBI wanting to question the PM, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s resignation, reservation in promotion in Government jobs and inclusion of some castes in the SC list in UP.
Even as BJP members stormed the Well demanding the PM’s resignation over missing coal block allocation files, Speaker Meira Kumar took up the Pension Bill for consideration. There were frequent adjournments.
As soon as the Rajya Sabha met for the day, BJP, SP, BSP and Congress members were up on their feet raising various issues and SP and BSP members came into the aisles shouting slogans.