New Delhi:
Law Minister
Ashwani Kumar, who has led the government into a Godzilla-sized scandal, has reportedly told his party that it must defend him because he has been made "collateral damage."
His remarks, made yesterday to Congress spokespersons, did not have the desired effect. He was allegedly told that in fact, it was the Prime Minister who is in danger of serving as collateral damage for the minister's actions.
In parliament and outside, the opposition has been demanding the PM's resignation on the grounds that his officials tried to water down a report prepared by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for the Supreme Court on its investigation into the flawed allocation of valuable coal fields by the government to private firms.
The crisis has been created by the Law Minister because he called a meeting on March 5 and made changes to the CBI's report.
So far, his defense has been a Public Relations disaster. An unsigned note issued on his behalf said the changes he asked for were "suggestions of a minor nature" and admitted that he called the contentious meeting which was attended, among others, by CBI Director Ranjit Sinha and Attorney General GE Vahanvati.
But in a clear attempt to pass the buck, Mr Kumar told Congress spokespersons that the meeting, which was held in his office, had been called by the Attorney General, not him. He has also insisted that as the government's legal advisor, he is not just entitled but obliged to consult with the CBI.
So far, the Prime Minister has been backing Mr Kumar, though many Congress members believe it is "untenable" for him to remain in office.