New Delhi:
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was heavily criticised by the BJP today after he made his statement on the alleged coal block allocation in Parliament today. The BJP said that it will continue to demand his resignation and boycott the "corrupt" government in Parliament.
BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar expressed disappointment with Dr Singh's statement, adding the PM has accepted his role in coal allotments.
"The country is upset with the Prime Minister's statement. It is not a statement but a list of points of excuses. He is hiding the facts. He has said one thing correct that he is wholly responsible for the decision and that is why we are saying he has allotted and has put his stamp of approval on every coal block allotment. There are wrong-doings and so he is responsible and that is why he must resign," he said.
"Personally, I think for any minister or anybody to make a statement on the CAG report inside the House is wrong. It's absolutely wrong. Because the only forum in which the CAG report can be discussed is the Public Accounts Committee," BJP leader Jaswant Singh told reporters outside Parliament today.
BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said his party will continue to press for the Prime Minister's resignation. He says the opposition has already extended enough opportunities to him in the last eight years.
"This is a corrupt government," Mr Rudy said.
The BJP had warned this morning that it would not cooperate with the PM's attempt to rebut the charges that on his watch as Coal Minister, private firms between 2004 and 2009 benefitted by upto Rs. 1.86 lakh crore because coal fields were sold to them at under-valued prices, a conclusion reached by the national auditor (CAG) in a report presented earlier this month.
The report of the Comptroller and Auditor Genral (CAG) not indict the Prime Minister but said that an auction should have been held to allocate coal blocks. The PM was Coal Minister for three of the years studied by the auditor.
(With inputs from PTI)
BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar expressed disappointment with Dr Singh's statement, adding the PM has accepted his role in coal allotments.
"The country is upset with the Prime Minister's statement. It is not a statement but a list of points of excuses. He is hiding the facts. He has said one thing correct that he is wholly responsible for the decision and that is why we are saying he has allotted and has put his stamp of approval on every coal block allotment. There are wrong-doings and so he is responsible and that is why he must resign," he said.
"Personally, I think for any minister or anybody to make a statement on the CAG report inside the House is wrong. It's absolutely wrong. Because the only forum in which the CAG report can be discussed is the Public Accounts Committee," BJP leader Jaswant Singh told reporters outside Parliament today.
BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said his party will continue to press for the Prime Minister's resignation. He says the opposition has already extended enough opportunities to him in the last eight years.
"This is a corrupt government," Mr Rudy said.
The BJP had warned this morning that it would not cooperate with the PM's attempt to rebut the charges that on his watch as Coal Minister, private firms between 2004 and 2009 benefitted by upto Rs. 1.86 lakh crore because coal fields were sold to them at under-valued prices, a conclusion reached by the national auditor (CAG) in a report presented earlier this month.
The report of the Comptroller and Auditor Genral (CAG) not indict the Prime Minister but said that an auction should have been held to allocate coal blocks. The PM was Coal Minister for three of the years studied by the auditor.
(With inputs from PTI)
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