New Delhi:
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sharpened its attack on the UPA government in the coal block allocation scam. The principal Opposition party slammed the Congress for criticising the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). The BJP also released documents to show how the present UPA government had allocated 17 coal blocks to 36 companies without going through the screening committee.
BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said today, "It is the Congress' scheme to first refuse, then deny and ridicule, knowing that the CAG will not be joining issue with them publicly since it is a Constitutional body. BJP condemns accusations against the CAG. BJP would like to know does he share the almost baseless allegations leveled by your official spokesperson? It's OK to have different views on the CAG. But we want to know the opinion of the PM and Sonia Gandhi on this issue."
On Monday, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari criticised the CAG, virtually accusing him of working for the BJP. "What's unfortunate is CAG is just as responsible for this as the BJP is for Monsoon session washout. It has led to roadblocks in governance and it has maligned India's image internationally," Mr Tiwari said yesterday.
The BJP also alleged that Coal Minister Sri Prakash Jaiswal extended some undue benefits to a few companies after he became Coal Minister in 2009.
"Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal said that last screening was done in 2008. Then how is it that Mr Jaiswal in 2009, 2010 and 2011 gave 17 coal blocks to 36 private companies? Did the government try to probe? The department that was directly under you had ineligible companies bidding. How do you explain this? We demand that 142 coal blocks be cancelled, and a probe be ordered by the Special Investigating Team (SIT)," BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
That BJP said that the Prime Minister must answer how coal blocks were allocated in 2009-2011 despite amended laws. He also said that the government should appoint a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to probe the matter.
The Monsoon Session of Parliament was washed out by the BJP's continued protests over the coal scam. The month-long session was marked by constant protests by the Opposition BJP over the coal allocation issue or Coal-gate as it has been christened. The party stuck to its demand for the resignation of the Prime Minister, saying he must take responsibility since he was the Coal Minister for part of the period in which the allocations were made. The Comptroller and Auditor General's report on coal block allocations has alleged that faulty allotment caused a windfall gain of Rs 1.86 lakh for several private firms that were favoured.
Today, Mr Prasad blamed the Congress for the washout of the Monsoon Session.
"The Monsoon Session was not lost due to the Opposition or the CAG. It's due to Sonia Gandhi who did not pay heed to Opposition demand backed by Mulayam and others," the BJP leader said.