New Delhi:
The BJP continued its offensive against the government by refusing to allow the Prime Minister to speak in either of houses of Parliament on the controversy of the CAG report on coal block allocations. After the PM made a statement in Parliament today, BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley held a press conference to counter his defence. Here are the highlights of that press conference:
Sushma Swaraj, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha- Policy of competitive bidding made in 2004 wasn't implemented till 2012.
- This is not a small delay - each step took 2 years.
- The government, including the PM today, has tried to blame the state governments for this delay.
- The delay in implementing the policy was matched by the speed in allocating coal blocks.
- If there is an independent inquiry, the Congress leaders will be found guilty.
- The only thing that is heartening in the PM's statement is that he has taken responsibility.
- We want him to take moral responsibility and that is why we want him to resign.
- If Public Sector Units (PSUs) are included this loss is more than ten lakh crores; we demand that coal blocks be reallocated through auction.
- On PM's Urdu couplet: The questions were so pointed that you would have been embarrassed in answering them. That is why you chose to remain silent.
- Between 2006-2010 142 coal blocks were allocated; in the previous 12 years only 70 had been allocated.
- We will fight on this issue alone if we need to, but we have our allies with us. Other parties like AIADMK also with us.
- Is allotment meinCongress party ko mota maal mila hai (Congress party has earned a lot of money).
- PM and Congress Party are equally responsible. They wanted the competitive bidding to be implemented only after the blocks were allocated.
- All these arguments - power, revenues etc - the haste was just because the Congress wanted to add to its coffers.
- It's the biggest case of corruption till date.
- When allotments were made, the state govt's were not adequately represented.
Arun Jaitley, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha
- This is an assault on the constitution and constitutionalism.
- It's a defiance of ethics in governance and polity.
- Step by step, if you analyse his statement, he transferred responsibility to someone else.
- He blamed the federal structure; opposition from states was responsible for delay in policy.
- He blames the democratic process in parliamentary democracy; the PM's priority was GDP growth shouldn't suffer and law making takes time.
- He blamed the law ministry for changing its opinion.
- He says the bidding process was transparent and blamed the CAG calculations to say that there was no loss.
- How can the PM blame states? The Centre had overruled the states in 2006; and now the PM blaming the states for this is not befitting of the Prime Minister of India.
- The argument that the GDP growth was a concern is vacuous; the mines allocated barely mine anything - these coal blocks haven't contributed to GDP growth.
- Power sector will become India's sub-prime say responsible economists.
- The govt kept sending this decision into a spiral - a small amendment took 2 years. When it was passed it took another 17 months to notify.
- Anticipating that there would be a change in regime, you opened the floodgates and allocated 142 coal blocks which haven't contributed to the GDP an inch.
- The CAG report has pulled up the screening committee and processes followed for not being transparent.
- They say this figure is exaggerated - this is wrong. They cite the MMRDA act, but that is when it will be passed. It is not a retrospective law.
- To allot coal blocks, no money was taken from these 142 firms.
- We have 2 demands - it's good to talk about full responsibility. We want the PM to be visibly responsible and quit.
- You must cancel all 142 coal blocks and now put them to competitive bidding. Once that is done, the truth will be clear. In 2G, history has vindicated the CAG. If the coal blocks are put to auction, the extent of the loss will become clear.
- We do not stand alone. But on this issue even if we have to stand alone, it would be a majestic isolation.
- Knowing the track record of the investigating agencies, this is fit case for an SIT.