New Delhi:
The CBI has admitted to the Supreme Court that the report on its coal investigation, submitted to judges last month, was seen in advance by Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, bureaucrats in the Coal Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office.
Now, the opposition's demand that the Law Minister and Prime Minister should resign has only gotten louder.
A look at some of the political reactions after the CBI filed its affidavit in court.
Ashwani Kumar, Law Minister: Have done no wrong. Truth shall prevail.
Kamal Nath, Parliamentary Affairs Minister: There is no question of the Law Minister resigning. We will wait till the 30th when the Supreme Court will decide. The BJP is asking for the PM to resign , ever since when he got elected.
Arun Jaitley, Senior BJP leader: Coal draft report must be made public so that it can be compared with final report. This has gone well beyond the Law Minister now. The Prime Ministers Office must explain in what context was a PMO official shown the draft of the coal report. The affidavit has smashed claims of no interference by government. The buck stops with the Prime Minister's office.
Ravi Shankar Prasad, Senior BJP Leader: CBI was instructed not to share the report. This is a copy book instance of how the CBI is sought to be influenced. Somewhere, someone has to take responsibility of the gross impropriety. We will demand the Prime Minister's resignation.
Jaswant Singh, Senior BJP leader: I haven't read the report but one thing is clear that the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) was involved in it. Whatever applies to the Law Minister applies to the PM as well. The government should resign. If the Prime Minister goes, the government goes.
Rajiv Pratap Rudy, BJP leader: The BJP stands by its demand on the resignation of the most dishonest PM since independence and we stand by it.
Manish Tewari, Congress leader and I & B Minister: I have got information that the CBI has filed an affidavit in court. What has been written in it is not in my knowledge.
Sitaram Yechury, CPI-M leader: Its up to the Supreme Court on what they make of this affidavit. But clearly the affidavit shows the government tried to influence it. We want a discussion in Parliament. I have said before that the CBI is Congress Bureau of Investigation. Demanding PM's resignation is political rhetoric but we want a discussion.
DP Tripathi, NCP Leader: There is a difference between sharing a report and showing a report. The law minister is a person with knowledge of law, there is nothing wrong in showing him the report.