Ex-CAG's charge against Manmohan Singh serious: Javadekar

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar Friday said former CAG Vinod Rai's remarks on the role of former prime minister Manmohan Singh in the 2G and coal block allocation are "serious charges".

He said that the allegations are now revealing the real picture, proving that Manmohan Singh did not have any power.

"It is the responsibility of the (then) prime minister (Manmohan Singh)... So many back to back corruption cases happen and he said that I don't know anything. This cannot be the case and the charge is serious," Javadekar said.

"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did not have power in his hands, this is true. Power was with 10 Janpath. And that is why the picture that has emerged today is correct," he said.

The minister also lauded Vinod Rai as a "successful" Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) who "brought to the fore irregularities that were going on".

"About coal, I, myself had complained after which there was a CBI investigation and the reasons why they (coal blocks) were given to someone were not explained and why they were not given to others were also not explained," Javadekar said.

Rai, ahead of the release of his book "Not Just An Accountant", has said Manmohan Singh "chose not to stop" the problems in the telecom sector and claimed that Congress leaders had sought to pressurise him to keep out the PM's name from the audit report brought out by his office.