Union minister of state in PMO V. Narayanasamy took exception to the BJP for disrupting arliamentary proceedings in the wake of CAG report on coal blocks allocation and said the Opposition leaders’ sole agenda was to cripple the functioning of the government.
“Since the last four days, they had gone against democratic principles and the Parliamentary practice. Now, I am very happy to say that JD(U), BJD, the Left parties, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), DMK, National Conference, Trinamul Congress, including the Congress, want a debate in Parliament on this coal block allocation issue,” Mr Narayanasamy said.
Speaking to reporters here on Saturday, he said the BJP was now in a fix. “Its original plan was to create a situation in which the government could not function.
The BJP leaders want the chair, but the people have given a mandate to our government to rule till 2014,” he added. The minister claimed that the BJP would be exposed if the issue was debated in Parliament.
It is extremely unfortunate that the BJP did not want a discussion despite the government being ready for it, he added.
The Prime Minister had followed a transparent method in allocating coal blocks.
Seeking Prime Minister’s resignation over the CAG report on coal block allocations, the BJP has claimed that he was responsible for what has been estimated as a notional loss of Rs 1.86 lakh crores by the CAG in coal block allocations.
The CAG report stated that nearly 150 coalfields were allotted to private and state-run firms without transparency and objectivity between 2005 and 2009.
‘SC ruling on PC vindicates Cong stand’
Minister of state in PMO V. Narayanasamy has said that the apex court's rejection of Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy's petition only vindicated the Congress stand.
"In fact, our stand has been vindicated …Whatever NDA government had done, our government followed at that time.
Therefore, there is no criminality, culpability or no misuse of power on the part of Union finance minister P. Chidambaram. The Supreme Court has rightly rejected Subramanian Swamy's petition," he told reporters here on Saturday.
At the time when 2G spectrum allocation was made, Mr Chidambaram wanted it to be auctioned, but unfortunately the policy laid down by the previous government was such that it should be given on first come first served basis. Hence, the government had to go by the policy, Mr Narayanasamy said.
The Supreme Court had on Friday dismissed a plea by Mr Subramanian Swamy to make Mr Chidambaram co-accused in the 2G spectrum case along with former telecommunication minister A. Raja, saying there was no prima facie material against the Union minister of any criminal conspiracy or procuring of any pecuniary gain. Mr Narayanasamy said the UPA Government had been stating from the very beginning that Mr Chidambaram had no role in the 2G spectrum allocation.