Coalgate: Left targets Manmohan Singh as CBI questions ex-members of PMO

CPI leader says that PM must own responsibility

With the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) expected to record the statement of T K A Nair, the senior-most bureaucrat in the Prime Minister's Office, in the coal blocks allocation scam case, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D Raja on Wednesday said Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will have to own responsibility.

Raja said the coalgate is the biggest scam in post-independent India.

"Definitely, the entire PMO comes under investigation. It is not just some ministers got involved, the Prime Minister himself is alleged for his role because he held the portfolio for a few years. During that period, many licenses were given to many private companies. So, the Prime Minister will have to own responsibility," he said.

Asserting that the coal scam issue was raised both inside and outside the Parliament, Raja said Ashwani Kumar had to step down as Law Minister because of his effort to cover up the PMO.

" And even the CBI as an organisation was questioned. How the CBI Director could have a meeting with the Law Minister in which a high-level official from PMO took part. So, the CBI was pulled up by the apex court of the country," he added.

Raja said the entire scam should be thoroughly probed, and added that nobody should go scot-free.

"Now, the case is being monitored by the Supreme Court. CBI must act fearlessly, CBI must act objectively, impartially without any fear," he said.

The CBI has also asked former Coal Secretary H C Gupta, who recently resigned as member of Competition Commission of India, to appear before it for questioning in the case on Thursday.

As part of its investigation, the CBI earlier this week questioned two bureaucrats, who were posted in the PMO when the coal blocks were allotted to private firms at undervalued prices.

According to certain media reports, the officials were asked for details of some coalfields that were allotted to private firms between 2006 and 2009, when the Prime Minister held direct charge of the Coal Ministry.

Coalgate concerns the government's allocation of the nation's coal deposits to public sector entities (PSEs) and private companies.