New Delhi:
Amid a controversy that the opposition cites as grounds for his resignation, the Prime Minister met Attorney General GE Vahanvati to discuss the government's strategy on the scandal nick-named "Coal-Gate," centred around coal fields that were allocated to private firms without a transparent bidding process.
Tomorrow, the Supreme Court will react to the CBI's admission that its report on coal investigation was seen by Law Minister Ashwani Kumar and by a senior bureaucrat each in the Coal Ministry the Prime Minister's Office before the document was submitted to judges last month.
The Attorney General, who reportedly advised the PM on what line the government will take in court tomorrow, is placed precariously. Sources say he attended a meeting at the Law Minister's office where the CBI's document was scrutinized. However, the Attorney General did not disclose this information to the Supreme Court.
The CBI report is meant to be confidential between the CBI and the Supreme Court, which is monitoring the inquiry into how and why coal fields were allocated to private players without a transparent bidding process.
Since the CBI's confession in court last week, the opposition has been demanding the exit of the Law Minister and the PM; Dr Manmohan Singh defiantly said that would not happen.
The Opposition offers the CBI's admission in court as immutable evidence that the government is trying to influence the CBI's investigation to protect the Prime Minister, who held direct charge of the Coal Ministry for some of the years under scrutiny.