CBI unable to trace how PM acted while allocating coal blocks: BJP

The party asserted that the coalgate probe was moving at a slow pace

Asserting that the Coalgate probe is moving with a slow pace, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday targetted Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh who held direct charge of the coal ministry during part of the period under scrutiny.

Reacting to reports of the CBI registering a fresh case against Aditya Birla Group chief Kumar Mangalam Birla, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said the investigating agency is unable to find the files which have been deliberately misplaced.

"They are unable to trace that how the PM as Coal Minister and his Ministry acted while granting and allocated the coal blocks. So, a complete monumental fraud is being investigated at a slow pace that too because Supreme Court is monitoring (it)," Javadekar said.
 

"Otherwise, if Supreme Court had not been monitoring (then) there would have been no probe at all. And therefore, we hope that Supreme Court will take cognizance of the speed also and will take it to its logical conclusion," he added.

The CBI, which is reportedly conducting raids on the premises of the company in various cities including Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, has registered the 14th FIR in the high profile coal block allocation scam and has named Kumar Mangalam Birla in the chargesheet that specifically mentions cheating and forgery.

The BJP has held the Prime Minister responsible and demanded his resignation for an estimated loss of Rs 1.86 lakh crores to the national exchequer by the CAG in connection with the coal block allocation.

The CAG report does not indict the Prime Minister or his office, but the BJP is emphasizing that the Prime Minister held direct charge of the coal ministry for the years under scrutiny.