New Delhi, April 19: Opposition BJP on Monday disputed the Government’s claim about procedural lapse in the now annulled Antrix-Devas deal and said it was, instead, a “political lapse”. According to media reports, a classified report from Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrasekhar, which did not fix individual culpability, blamed procedural lapses for the deal and recommended corrective measures in the power structure of ISRO and Department of Space to ensure accountability.
“The Cabinet Secretary’s report to the Prime Minister calls the Antrix-Devas deal a procedural lapse. We feel this was a glaring, palpable lapse of the political leadership of the party presently ruling the nation,” BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
The leader claimed it was only because of pressure from the media and Opposition parties that the Government decided to cancel the deal, which caused a “loss of face” for the Government.
The BJP trained guns at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying both ISRO and the Department of Space comes directly under him and what were he and his officers doing if there was a procedural lapse. It also sought an explanation from the Prime Minister on this.
“BJP very strongly condemns this palpable attempt to put the whole issue under the carpet by taking the alibi of procedural lapses…. We demand categorically from Manmohan Singh that he tell the nation who all is responsible and what is his role in the lapses in this deal,” Prasad said, demanding Singh to fix individual responsibilities.
–Agencies–