PM under attack: Govt says BJP irresponsible

With Prime Minister Manmohan Singh under fresh attack in coal block allocations, the government today sought to take refuge in the fact that the matter is sub-judice and hit out at BJP for being "irresponsible".

Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said the government has already provided all documents to the CBI and if anybody has to say anything, it should be at an appropriate forum and at an appropriate time.

"Our attention has been drawn to some reports which have appeared in the sections of press today. Most respectfully, I would like to submit that the entire matter is under investigation and the investigation that is being monitored by the Supreme Court of India directly," he told reporters here.

"So, therefore, in a subjudice matter where investigations are in progress it is inappropriate for people to be commenting in a manner in which they've done," he said.

He was responding when asked to react to comments made by former Coal Secretary P C Parakh, who has been booked by CBI in the coal scam, that the Prime Minister was the final decision maker and must be counted as a "conspirator". This prompted BJP to demand Singh's resignation.

The government has provided all documents to the investigators and, therefore, this "unnecessary speculation" is something which needs to be avoided, Tewari added.

The Prime Minister's Office refused to comment and merely referred to the September 3 statement by Singh in Parliament where he had said the government has nothing to hide and that there should be no "hasty" conclusion that something is "fishy".