BJP on Monday targeted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the issue of corruption saying he cannot escape responsibility for alleged irregularities in allocation of coal blocks and Devas Antrix deal.
Resuming the debate in Rajya Sabha on the Motion of Thanks on President’s Address, Prakash Javadekar (BJP) said there has been a bigger corruption than 2G scam in the allocation of 143 coal blocks in the country as these were given to private companies without any auction despite set norms.
Noting that work could start only in 26 of the 143 coal blocks that were given, Javadekar said, “Now the Prime Minister cannot say he has no information because he himself was the Coal Minister.”
He said this was a bigger scandal and BJP had already gone to the CVC and CAG demanding a deeper probe into the issue.
Javadekar also attacked the government on Devas Antrix deal asking as to how the government could say there was no scam after canceling the tender of the deal.
“If it was not wrong, why did you cancel it….How can you say the Prime Minister and the PMO did not know about it… the then Minister of State for the PMO used to attend related meetings. Why the scientists should be punished for the fault of PMO,” he asked.
He also took a dig at the UPA for the handling of its allies saying all partners of the ruling coalition were “angry and upset” and added that the Congress does not run a coalition government.
The BJP leader accusing the UPA of being arrogant and said it was infringing upon the rights of the states.
Taking a dig at the UPA, he said there are two power centres. “The power is at 10 Janpath (Sonia Gandhi’s official residence) and the post with Prime Minister. He does not have the kind of influence now even as Prime Minister compared to what he used to have as Finance Minister in the government of P V Narasimha Rao,” he said.
—-PTI—-