New Delhi: The UPA on Friday found itself in a corner after CBI Director Ranjit Sinha told the Supreme Court in an affidavit that the draft report on coal allocation scam was shared with the Law Minister “on his demand.” It was also shared with the Coal Minister and the PMO.
Soon after the details of damning affidavit came in, Law Minister Ashwani Kumar met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Parliament house. Minutes later, Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Defence Minister AK Antony and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath joined the Prime Minister in the meeting.
Minutes later, UPA chairperson called for a meeting of all the allies.
The issue that came to the fore is that if Ashwani Kumar puts in his paper, the Opposition will demand the resignation of Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal who was also named in the CBI affidavit.
The next stop would be the Prime Minister’s Office as a senior Joint Secretary in the PMO also had gone through the draft report on the coal scam.  
While the Opposition went on the offensive accusing the government of interfering in the work of an independent investigating agency, the Congress sought time by saying that the matter is to come up before the Supreme Court on April 30 and it would only be prudent to wait till then.
The Congress also too the high ground saying that the final draft was not shared by the CBI with anyone.
In a two page affidavit, the Director said the report was shared on demand by the Law Ministry, PMO and the Coal Ministry.
In paragraph 4 of the affidavit, it makes it amply clear that the report was sought by the Union Minister of Law and Justice. The CBI director says: “I submit that the draft report was shared with the Union Minister of Law and Justice as desired by him.” It was also shared by two senior two senior officers in the PMO also.
However, the affidavit was silent on what changes were made in the draft following these meetings.
The CBI Director said the present draft was independent of any interference.
Prasanth Bhushan, who is one of the litigants, told reporters outside the Supreme Court that it is strange how an independent organisation like the CBI can share a confidential document that it was to be given to the apex court.
Bhushan said more than what has been revealed, what is disquieting is what the CBI affidavit tries to hide. It does not say what changes were suggested and the officers involved in the matter.
With this affidavit before the Supreme Court, Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar may find himself in a spot.
Sources had earlier said Kumar had made substantive changes in the content in order to protect the PMO and the government.
The Law Minister had taken a stand that he just corrected the English and certain grammatical errors. But the BJP hit back asking the minister if he was an English professor or the country’s Law Minister. Party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said this was the first time in Parliamentary history when a minister is found `correcting’ the English language of India’s premier investigating agency.
The next hearing will come up on April 30 when the Supreme Court will pronounce its stand on the way the report was shared.