Shinde's remark on coal draws Oppn flak

Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s remark that the controversial issue of coal block allocation would soon fade away from public memory like the infamous case of Bofors has drawn sharp reactions.

Taking on Shinde, Opposition parties reminded him that the ruling party was thrown out of power after the issue and could never get a majority on its own since then.

“In 1984, after Indira Gandhi's death, when elections took place, the Congress had won more than 400 seats. After five years, post-Bofors scandal, the party was out of power and its seats reduced to half.

“It's a different matter whether people have forgotten Bofors or not, but the Congress has forgotten what Bofors had done to it. Since then, the party has not got majority on its own,” BJP leader Balbir Punj said.

CPI’s D Raja also reminded the ruling party that the fact that it lost elections after Bofors is a message that people gave the government of the day. “The Congress party and Shinde should remember this,” he said.

JD(U) president Sharad Yadav, who described Shinde as his “old friend” also, did not hide his displeasure over Shinde's remark advising him to concentrate more on his ministry.
“He has come to Delhi very recently. His importance is due to the Congress party. Better he confines himself to speaking about the home ministry. He should speak less on political issues,” Yadav said.

Addressing a function in Pune on Saturday, Shinde said in a lighter vein that “earlier the Bofors was a talking point. People forgot about it. Now, it is coal. This, too, will be forgotten.”