JOIN USBuoyed by the CBI registering five cases against coal scam beneficiaries including Congress MP Vijay Darda,an elated BJP on Tuesday demanded that the Prime Minister should resign now, since he as coal minister had signed orders for allotments that are under agency scanner.
BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters that the CBI probe proved that there was wrongdoing in the allocation of coal blocks and it was Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who as a coal minister, had signed on papers giving mining rights to private companies. The party is planning to come up with more revelations on the scam in the next couple of days.
However, Coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal took on the Opposition. “Those who allege CBI works on government instructions, they should answer now, how they feel about the CBI action?” Jaiswal said.
“The government might take the credit, but it was on our complaint to the CVC which formed the basis of the CBI probe in the coalgate scam”, the BJP Rajya Sabha MP, who along with his colleague Hansraj Ahir had filed it, said. BJP secretary Kirit Somaiya in Mumbai said, “The firms to which Dardas and Jayaswals are linked are eight of the total 142 allocations and BJP's main focus is on all the 142".
Though the BJP may feel that the CBI cases have vindicated their stand of loot of natural resources but they were also cautiouss given the fact that the premier investigating agency comes under the Prime Minister also holds the charge of ministry of personnel.