NEW DELHI: Opposition BJP on Thursday claimed that the trail of the coal scam went all the way to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh since he was the final signatory for all allocations and sought to know how coal secretary P C Parakh was being held responsible but not the minister who held the portfolio.
“The trail of coal allocation scam goes all the way to 7, Race Course Road (PM’s residence). If in the Commonwealth Games scam the person who put the final signature was held accountable and jailed, then what is the reason that the prime minister, who held the coal portfolio, is not responsible,” BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said.
He said if Parakh was being accused of wrongdoing because he was coal secretary, then why was the prime minister not culpable?
Citing another instance, the BJP leader said in the 2G spectrum scam, A Raja was made an accused as he was telecom minister.
The main opposition had demanded on Wednesday that the PM should tender his resignation immediately. “BJP wants to know why PM is not being held accountable. We will take this issue to the people, most of whom are already aware of it by now,” Hussain said.
Congress, however, defended Union ministers for registering concern over Kumar Mangalam Birla being named by CBI in the scam while maintaining that there was no question of undermining any agency or protecting any individual.
Rejecting the opposition’s attack over the ministers’ remarks, Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury said, “What is the statement they have made. They (ministers) have said that… when these sorts of accusations start flying and everyone is speculating, any kind of speculation will have a negative impact on industrial growth, atmosphere. That’s it. No one has said that you should protect individuals. Nobody has said that.”
She added, “We have not done any kind of veracity on what CBI has said. I have categorically said that it is between the court and CBI what they are going to find. In the meantime, can we please not have random speculation and jump to conclusions.”