New Delhi:
The Law and Railways Ministers, who have been smeared by scandal, are not being asked to quit the government yet. The Congress core group met on Sunday evening, the second time in two days, to discuss the growing calls for the ministers' resignations. Pawan Bansal and
Ashwani Kumar will stay for now.
Railways Minister Pawan Bansal's nephew has been arrested for accepting a 90 lakh bribe in exchange for a top job on the Railways Board. There are reports that he could be questioned by the CBI.
Law Minister Ashwani Kumar allegedly asked for a CBI report on its coal investigation to be diluted before it was submitted to the Supreme Court. On Monday, in court, the CBI will reveal what changes he wanted. (
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Union minister Manish Tiwari said on Sunday evening, "As far as the rail minister is concerned, a probe is underway. He has welcomed the probe. We cannot pre-judge the issue till the investigation is over."
As far as the Law Minister is concerned, Mr Tiwari simply said, "The matter is in court. It will come up on May 8."
The BJP, however, continues to keep up the pressure on the UPA government, accusing them of trying to interfere with what is meant to be an independent probe into how private players got coal licenses.
"Are the rules different for Congress ministers and ministers of UPA's allies. A Raja was removed in 2G case, Dayanidhi Maran was removed, other ministers of the allies were removed," the BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
Many in the Congress too believe the Law Minister's actions make it untenable for him to remain in office. The controversy around him may well impact the case of the Railways Minister.
The scandal around the Railways Minister, therefore, comes as the government is already struggling to minimise the damage of "Coal-Gate".
The Congress-led coalition has hurtled from one scam to another, raising the danger that it could be perceived as a hot-spot for graft just months before the national election in which it will ask voters for a third consecutive term.