Arun Jaitley to NDTV on coal controversy: Highlights

New Delhi: BJP leader and leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley speaks to NDTV exclusively on the coal controversy.

Here are the highlights of Mr Jaitley's interview:

• We need higher standard of people in Indian polity
• Cutting across party lines, we realise we haven't reached those standards
• Cannot have discretionary powers in the hands of politicians, especially when it involves lakhs of crores
• In most tangible products, I would prefer an auction
• Not happy with the first-come, first-serve basis
  
• PM said he is responsible, then did a somersault
• No transparent political funding in India
• PM should have the moral guts to accept responsibility and then go for a competitive bidding system
• Big shock in 2G, bigger shock in coal
• Job of CAG is to make you wiser after the event
• Because Parliament was paralysed in 2010, A Raja had to quit. The telecom sector has been cleaned up.
• Of course, this should not happen every session. We are committed to Parliamentary democracy
• If by sacrificing one session of Parliament the telecom set up can be cleaned up, it is a small price to pay
• This cannot happened all the time; it is the 'rarest of rare' cases
• For the UPA, this is turning out to be a zero-sum game
• I am happy to debate in Parliament but I have a bitter experience after 2G
• Won't go by Parliamentary strategy which will comfort the govt
  
• Accountability through the Parliamentary mechanism has be diluted'
• On an issue of corruption, people will be with us; therefore we won't be alone. We are setting the agenda
• Ability of the govt to manipulate political class is very high. It has alienated itself from people.
• Overstating the leadership of BJP is because structured party will have more than one person. Parties controlled by families will have only one
• India must get used to inter party politics