PM 'running away' from questions, 'must' be interrogated in coal scam: BJP

As reports suggested that the Central Bureau for Investigation (CBI) wants to interrogate Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in connection with the coal scam, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that he is evading all questions, and thereby causing a deadlock in the investigations.

Demanding the interrogation of the Prime Minister, BJP leader Balbir Punj said: "Of all the scams of the UPA-2 Government, the biggest was the Coal Scam and it also very, very important for the simple reason that when the scam took place, the Coal Minister in this Government happened to be the Prime Minister himself. As a result, no investigation in this case can be complete without a proper interrogation of the Prime Minister. But the Prime Minister seems to be running away from all investigations."

Punj also expressed dissatisfaction with the statement made by Dr. Manmohan Singh in Parliament yesterday, and said that the opposition was prepared to go the full distance to ensure that the Centre becomes accountable.

"We saw his (Dr. Manmohan Singh's) conduct in Rajya Sabha yesterday. He made a blank statement-a wishy-washy statement in both Houses. After that, rather than taken questions and queries, he ran away," Punj said.

"We want this issue to be discussed in Parliament and we will make every effort, which is available under this system, to ensure that we make the government accountable for its sins, both, in Parliament and outside," he added.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Yashwant Sinha has also demanded the interrogation of the Prime Minister to further investigations in the Coal Scam.

"The PM must be questioned and interrogated, irrespective of the fact that they are tried to cover up the Coal Scam," Sinha said.

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister made a statement in the Rajya Sabha regarding the concerns raised over the missing files pertaining to the Coal Scam, and said the Centre would ensure that all files would be located and given to the CBI to proceed with investigation on the case.

"If the records in question are indeed found missing, the government will carry out a thorough investigation and ensure that the guilty is booked," Dr. Singh told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, while making a statement on the issue of missing files relating to allocation of coal blocks.

The BJP has held the Prime Minister responsible and demanded his resignation for what has been estimated as loss of Rs 1.86 lakh crores to the national exchequer by the CAG in coal blocks 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.