'PM will face CBI if summoned in coal scam'

Q&A with Kamal Nath, Parliamentary Affairs Minister

The government on Saturday said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was ready to face the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) if necessary in the coalgate. Parliamentary Affairs Minister KAMAL NATH told Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN’s Devil’s Advocate the prime minister will present himself for questioning if the CBI summons him. Excerpts of the interview: 

 

The Indian Express has revealed that a gentleman called K R Chowrasia, the CBI's superintendent of police, wishes to examine the prime minister. Mr Chowrasia happens to be the CBI official investigating the coalgate, he wants to examine the prime minister and he's not being given the permission to do so. And I ask you a simple question. Why?

 

I do not know of that report. It's The Indian Express saying so and just because The Indian Express says so we cannot assume that to be correct. The CBI director has already come out and made a statement that this is not the appropriate time or something like that. I don't remember. But if the CBI, let me say so very bluntly, if the CBI takes a decision that they need to speak to the prime minister on that, there is nothing wrong.  

 

So the prime minister will  be available if the CBI makes a formal request...  

 

Why not? 

 

You sure you are not speaking out of turn.  

 

I am not speaking out of turn. 

 

You are committing the prime minister to an examination if the CBI asks for it. 

 

The CBI under law can question anybody and the prime minister is within the law, so if the CBI wants  to question him, find  that for the purposes of the investigation, they need to question him, the prime minister is part of the law.