New Delhi:
In a nine-page affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, the CBI said today that at a meeting in his office in March, Law Minister Ashwani Kumar deleted parts from a paragraph while vetting its report on the coal investigation.
Here are the political reactions:
Sushma Swaraj, Senior BJP leader: We want discussion on Food Security and Land Acquisition Bill... The government should first sack the accused ministers and then discuss the bills...
Till our demands are met, any bill that the government tries to forcibly pass, the entire Opposition will oppose it.Salman Khurshid, Minister for External Affairs: It won't be proper for me to comment on an issue that's sub-judice. We should only comment on something when we understand the circumstances. Time changes so do circumstances, but the point is that if the Law Minister will not look in to the matter where he is supposed to, then why is he a minister? Rest depends on the Supreme Court, it is the ultimate judge, which will guide us by telling us our limits.
Manish Tewari, Information and Broadcasting Minister: I don't know what the CBI has filed. I do not comment on matters which are sub-judice. If the Union of India has anything to say it will articulate it through its law officers in the court.
Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) leader: For his interference, the Law Minister has no moral right to continue. If the government doesn't do anything, they will have to do something when the Supreme Court reprimands them during the hearing on Wednesday.
Brinda Karat, CPI(M) leader: The Law Minister has absolutely no right to continue in office. He must resign or be removed forthwith. It's only a very brazen government which can say this is all sub-judice and therefore, we are not taking any action, when the facts as far as the Law Minister is concerned having been made clear before the country.
Rajnath Singh, BJP president: Be it the PM or the Law Minister, they have no right to continue in office. This is a suggestion as well as our demand.
Kiran Bedi, social activist and retired IPS officer: Each one of them have been collectively exposed for the first time, will wait for the final judgement.
Farooq Abdullah, National Conference leader and former J&K chief minister: The Law Minister might have questioned the language or the manner the report was portrayed, but this does not means he made some major changes in the facts presented by the CBI .