Coalgate: BJP targets UPA, demands PM's resignation

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday launched a frontal attack on the Congress-led UPA Government over the delay in the coal scam probe, and mounted pressure on Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to step down from his post.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar alleged that the Prime Minister himself is on the radar of suspect in this UPA Government.

"Why did the CBI change the coal report in Ashwani Kumar's place? We will stay firm on the fact that the PM should resign. We also ask are the UPA men celebrating successful corruption for nine years?" said Javadekar.

"BJP has evolved as the symbol of success. Hence BJP wants a total revamp of the whole system," added Javadekar.

Coal allocation scam or Coalgate, is a political scandal concerning the Indian government's allocation of the nation's coal deposits to public sector entities (PSEs) and private companies by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

In a draft report issued in March 2012, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) office accused the Government of India of allocating coal blocks in an inefficient manner during the period 2004-2009.

Over the summer of 2012, the opposition BJP lodged a complaint resulting in a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into whether the allocation of the coal blocks was in fact influenced by corruption.