House logjam over coalgate, JPC report may continue

Logjam in Parliament over the alleged coal scam and draft report of joint parliamentary committee (JPC) on 2G allocations case is likely to continue on Thursday, with the Opposition parties closing ranks to corner the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government on the twin issues.

Incursion of Chinese troops into Indian territory is another issue that may add to the woes of the government with the UPA’s outside supporter, Samajwadi Party, too sharing a common platform with the Opposition, blaming the Centre for not handling the issue properly.

After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stalled proceedings on Tuesday demanding Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s resignation over his alleged role in coal blocks allocation, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath was looking for an opportunity to hold “dialogue” with the Opposition to “find convergence” on “all the issues”.

However, the principal opposition was enraged by UPA chairperson’s terse response to their demand, as she said “let them ask (for PM’s resignation).”

Reacting sharply to Gandhi’s remark, the BJP on Wednesday said “such an attitude” by the ruling party was not “helpful in a democracy” as the main Opposition’s demand was “based on facts".

"The ruling party should exercise restraint. We are the principal opposition and we are demanding resignation on the basis of facts. Congress should also respond on the basis of facts. Such an attitude is not good in a healthy democracy," PTI news agency Quoted BJP president Rajnath Singh as saying.

The Party reiterated its demand for the Prime Minister’s resignation on the alleged coal scam and removal of Law Minister Ashwini Kumar for alleged vetting of the status report of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The main Opposition also expressed its objection to the draft report of the JPC on 2G spectrum allocations, alleging the UPA government was making an all out effort to shield Prime Minister and Finance Minister P Chidambaram as some of them were examined by the panel during its year-long proceedings.

"Both the 2G case and the coal scam case are progressing in the same direction... The government is making all-out efforts for cover-up. But the more they do so, the more things are coming out," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

In a letter to Prime Minister, Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha has asked him to break his silence and appear before the JPC to clarify allegations levelled by former Telecom Minister A Raja that both he (Prime Minister) and Finance Minister were aware of the decisions taken on the allocation of 2G spectrum.

CPI leader D Raja said his party wanted Prime Minister to “come clean” on the coal block allocations controversy. “The Law Minister should also face the Parliament,” he told Deccan Herald.

He described the JPC report as “prejudiced and totally unacceptable”, demanding both the Singh and Chidambaram to come clean on the allegations of their role in the scam.

Rail Budget and the General Budget’s demands for grants under the control of the Coal ministry for 2013-14 are in the Thursday’s list of business in the Lok Sabha while in Rajya Sabha, government has planned to introduce three legislations including Whistle Blowers Bill.