In an indirect attack on Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Rajnath Singh on Saturday sought an explanation from Ashwani Kumar who stepped down as the Law Minister.
Rajnath Singh said Ashwani Kumar should explain as to why did he agree to become a scapegoat.
“He should explain as to whom did he defend by doing so. If he says that he has done no wrong, then who is responsible. He had to resign from the Union Cabinet to save whom,” he told mediapersons here.
Ashwani Kumar earlier in the day said that he had done no wrong, and added that he stepped down from his post to put an end to unnecessary controversy.
“I have yesterday tendered my resignation to the honourable Prime Minister thanking him for giving me the opportunity to be a part of his team. I have done so to put an end to unnecessary controversy in a matter, which is before the honourable Supreme Court, and in which no adverse comments have been made against me in any manner whatsoever. My conscience remains clear and I believe that I will stand vindicated because divine justice ordains that truth and justice will prevail,” Kumar told mediapersons here.
“When papers for resignation are put in, they do not by any set of imagination imply wrongdoing. There are certain political decisions that are considered necessary. Whatever the Prime Minister and the party high command thought fit I have done, as a loyal foot-soldier, and I am proud of the fact that I am a loyal foot- soldier of the party,” he added, when asked why he had put in his papers if he had done no wrong.
In a swift and decisive move, the Congress Party had dropped both Ashwani Kumar and Pawan Kumar Bansal from the Union Cabinet yesterday in view of the charges of corruption and impropriety surrounding the duo.
The decision in this regard came soon after Congress President Sonia Gandhi met the Prime Minister and it was decided that both the ministers should be asked to put in their papers to contain any further damage to the UPA Government.
The government was finding to difficult to defend the Law Minister after the apex court”s scathing remarks over changing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) status report in the coal scam.
Meanwhile, Bansal”s ouster from the Cabinet became inevitable after it became clear that the CBI was all set to question him following the arrest of his nephew Vijay Singla in the cash-for-job scam.
The arrest of Singla and media revelations about his family”s business transactions and bank loans had caused the government major embarrassment.
In his resignation letter, Bansal maintained that he was not aware that his nephew was in contact with Railway Board Member Mahesh Kumar but he still thought it proper to step down.
64-year-old Bansal, who was made Railway Minister in October last year, said he looks forward to an expeditious investigation into the allegations.
Bansal had earlier told the Congress leadership, including the Prime Minister, that he has no business links with his nephew. (ANI)