New Delhi:
Keeping up the offensive against the Congress-led UPA government, senior BJP leader LK Advani has said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement on the coal controversy was a "totally unconvincing explanation."
"I was intrigued to find that Federalism, rightly described by our Supreme Court as one of the basic features of the Indian Constitution and so one which cannot be amended by Parliament, was sought to be blamed by the Prime Minister in his totally unconvincing explanation," Mr Advani wrote in the latest blog post. <a href="http://blog.lkadvani.in/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Read Mr Advani's blog</a>
The report tabled by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India or CAG, which alleges irregularities in the allotment of coal blocks, has created a political storm. The BJP has disrupted both Houses for eight days now, forcing adjournments every day.
According to the report by the national auditor, the country lost Rs. 1.86 lakh crore because 142 coal fields were given cheaply to private and state-run firms between 2005 and 2009 instead of being auctioned. The BJP has said that this was done on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's watch and therefore, he should resign. The party also says all coal block allocations made should be cancelled.
Mr Advani in his blog wrote, "The deadlock in Parliament on coal allocation has continued for over a week now. The NDA has offered to resolve the deadlock if all the allotments made are cancelled and the process whereby the screening committee has decided these allocations is subjected to a judicial probe. The Government is not yet prepared for this."
Strongly defending Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on the issue, Mr Advani said his party colleague was "fully justified" in demanding a share in the revenues earned by the state as a result of competitive bidding and this cannot be construed as opposition to auction of coal blocks.
(With inputs from PTI)