Cong challenges BJP to move no-trust motion

The Congress on Monday challenged the BJP to bring a no-confidence motion on the coal block allocation issue and accused the main opposition of hijacking Parliament by thwarting any debate on the issue.

“We want a debate on the issue, but the BJP has hijacked Parliament,” Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said while addressing the media on the Parliament premises. Asked if the Congress has sufficient numbers in Parliament in case the BJP brings a no-confidence motion, Tewari stressed “the Congress has enough numbers.”

He dared the party “which has been sitting in the Opposition for the past eight years” to go for no-trust vote.” The spokesperson also attacked Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for the coal block report.  “The way the reports are being compiled are beyond the legal mandate of the CAG,” he said. 

Trashing the auditor’s findings on coal block allocation as “completely false,” Tewari accused the BJP of adopting double standard regarding the CAG findings—one for the opposition-ruled states and another for the Central government.

He also refuted the opposition charge that the Congress had been paid bribes in the coal block allocation. Responding to allegations that government has been targeting constitutional institutions, Tewari said “any political party is well within its rights to criticise the findings of CAG.”

Earlier in the day, CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of showing “disrespect” to the Constitution by attacking the CAG. “It is shameful and irresponsible because he (Prime Minister) is attacking constitutional institutions,” Dasgupta said while addressing the media at a joint press conference of leaders of the CPM, CPI, RSP, Forward Bloc and TDP.

The Left parties and TDP also demanded cancellation of coal block allocation and sought a “thorough probe into the whole affair.”