Cong rejects BJP's demand for PM's resignation in coal allocation

Today AG has accepted something major was wrong in the coal blocks allocation

Congress today dismissed the BJP demand for resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the wake of the Centre's admission before the Supreme Court that something went wrong with coal blocks allocation.

"It is the habit of the BJP to seek the resignation of the Prime Minister. We do not pay heed to it," party spokesperson Meem Afzal told reporters here.

Stepping up pressure, BJP demanded the Prime Minister's resignation with its spokesperson Prakash Javadekar saying, "The Attorney General has accepted that something major was wrong in the coal blocks allocation. He has confided in the Supreme Court that there were serious irregularities in the allotments."

Javadekar said, "The onus is now on the Prime Minister as he held the coal portfolio from 2006 to 2009 when the allocations were made. We reiterate that he should own up his responsibility and resign".

Admitting that something went wrong with the coal blocks allocation, Attorney General Goolam E Vahanvati told a three- judge bench headed by Justice R M Lodha that "we took decision in good faith but something turned out to be wrong".

"In hindsight, we can say something has gone wrong and some correction is required to be done," he said, virtually accepting that mistakes were committed by the government in coal blocks allocation.

Vahanvati's response came after the bench observed that the exercise could have been done in a "far better manner".