Coal deadlock in Parliament: Ahead of all-party meet, BJP hardens stand

New Delhi: Ahead of an all-party meet on Monday called by the Speaker to try and end the impasse in Parliament over the alleged coal scam, the furore over what's also being called as Coal-gate refuses to die down. In a sign of things to come, senior BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley, has said that the government is 'arrogant and despotic'.

"The arbitrary and discretionary allocation of 142 coal blocks is the latest albatross round the neck of the UPA Government. The arrogant and despotic government did not realize when the allocations were made that it would be held accountable for each of these coal block allocations," Mr Jaitley said in an article on his party's website.

With the Opposition's stand only getting tougher, there is every chance that Parliament will again see disruptions this week. Last week, Parliament was disrupted for four consecutive days.

Mr Jaitley also alleged that the Congress received political funding from coal allocation. The coal controversy is pivoted on a report by the national auditor which said that private players got 'windfall gains' of upto 1.86 lakh crores between 2005 and 2009 because they were not made to bid for coal fields. Instead, they were allotted coal fields at a fraction of their value.  Because the PM was Coal Minister for a part of this period, the BJP says the alleged swindle - being investigated now by the CBI - took place on his watch.

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"If the process of allocation by the Prime Minister as a Coal Minister smacks of arbitrariness it shakes our national conscience. The onus is now on the Prime Minister to accept the responsibility for what has happened," said Mr Jaitley.

So far the BJP has said it will accept nothing less than the resignation of Dr Manmohan Singh for allegedly allowing private firms to gain thousands of crores because they were sold hugely under-priced coal fields. It has rejected the Congress-led government's offer that the PM will make a statement on the matter, which can also be debated on the floor of Parliament. The BJP has said it will not allow Parliament to get to work till Dr Singh accepts responsibility for "Coal-gate" and quits, a possibility shot down by the ruling Congress as "preposterous."

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Mr Jaitley's remarks come on a day when anti-graft activist Arvind Kejriwal and his supporters attempted to 'gherao' the residences of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and BJP President Nitin Gadkari over the alleged coal scam. Mr Kejriwal says the public must hold both the BJP and the Congress accountable for alleged losses of thousands of crores because nearly 50 coal blocks were allocated between 2004 and 2009 without an auction. (Read: Kejriwal released; water canons, tear gas used on protestors)

Even anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare, targeting both the Congress and the BJP, today said that those whose hands are 'blackened' with corruption are levelling allegations against each other and that they cannot provide any future to the country.(Read: Anna targets both Congress, BJP on corruption)