New Delhi:
Under opposition attack on the missing files connected to the coal allocation scam, Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal today said in Parliament that he was ready for any punishment if he was proved guilty.
"The
Government will leave no stone unturned in tracingthe missingdocumentssought by CBI," Mr Jaiswal said in Rajya Sabha. But the BJP insisted that the Prime Minister himself give an explanation on the missing files, related to the allocation of coal blocks to private firms at throwaway prices, at a huge cost to the country.
The opposition had refused to accept the coal minister's statement, alleging a conflict of interest as one of the private allottees under the scanner was related to Mr Jaiswal.
"Files don't disappear, they are made to disappear," said Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley.
Similar scenes were witnessed in the Lok Sabha.
"The PM should come to the house and explain how and where the files went missing, every missing file names Congress ministers, we expect a statement from the PM himself," said Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, amid slogans of "PM must answer" from the opposition benches.
60 files are missing, of which 16 have been sought urgently by the CBI. The documents that cannot be traced reportedly explain the allocation process for 50 coal blocks.
The BJP said the missing documents prove that the government is trying to interfere with the investigation into 'Coal-Gate' to protect the Prime Minister, who held direct charge of the Coal Ministry for some of the years under scrutiny.
The Supreme Court has repeatedly admonished the government for trying to influence the investigation.
In May, the CBI conceded that officials from the Law Ministry and Prime Minister's Office had altered a confidential report on its investigations before it was shared with Supreme Court judges.
The CBI's charges - that mining rights were issued without transparency or basic background checks for private players - add to the perception of a government laden with graft as the Congress gears up to ask voters for a third straight term.