Civil war-like situation within UPA, says Jaitley

Referring to the Finance Ministry note which said that 2G spectrum could have been auctioned if Chidambaram as Finance Minister in 2008 had insisted, BJP leader Arun Jaitley hailed Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, saying "at least someone in Congress has spoken the truth".

He said the government had attacked anyone -- judiciary, the opposition and the CAG -- who spoke about irregularities in 2G spectrum allocation but "now the most experienced and wisest person in the government is saying so."

Addressing a function here, the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said, "the government is at war with itself... There is a civil-war like situation within" the government.

Taking a dig at Singh's continued silence, Jaitley said, "the most important question that the Prime Minister should be asked is -- whether you were there or not or you had no knowledge of even this."

Asking the Prime Minister what he was "doing when national loot was taking place", Jaitley had a poser for him -- "What was your responsibility? Were you only guilty of a conspiracy of silence?"