Veteran BJP leader L K Advani on Sunday held Prime Minister Manmohan Singh responsible in the coal blocks allocation scam for an estimated loss of Rs.1.86 lakh crores to the national exchequer as per the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report.
He also held UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi responsible for this scam.
“I have nothing to do with the equation between Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. During coal scam, Prime Minister was also coal minister. Both are responsible but primary responsibility is with the Prime Minister,” he told media here today.
Advani also alleged that Congress was worst government in the history of Independent India in terms of integrity and honesty.
” In the history of our country, from point of view of integrity and honesty in governance, there has not been worse period than the last ten years,” he added.
CAG report on coal block allocation has stated that nearly 150 coalfields were allotted to private and state-run firms without transparency and objectivity between 2005 and 2009.
The CAG report does not indict the Prime Minister or his office, but the BJP is emphasizing that the Prime Minister held direct charge of the Coal Ministry for the years under scrutiny.
However, the Prime Minister had rejected the CAG’s observations as ‘misleading’ and ‘flawed’, and blamed the opposition parties for thwarting the efforts of his government to bring a policy of competitive bidding. (ANI)