Rail Minister should resign owning moral responsibility: Raja

Maintaining that Railway Minister P K Bansal's position has become "untenable" following the arrest of his nephew in alleged bribery scandal, CPI National Secretary D Raja today said he should resign owning moral responsibility.
"There is allegation that relative of the Railway Minister has got bribe. Owning moral responsibility, the minister should resign and (him) holding the post is untenable," he told reporters here.
Bansal's nephew Vijay Singla was arrested by CBI last night for allegedly accepting Rs 90 lakhs for fixing a better position for Railway Board member Mahesh Kumar.
Referring to 2G and Coal block allocation scams, Raja alleged that UPA II was in "neck deep" corruption resulting in a political crisis.

Holding the UPA Government responsible for non-functioning of Parliament, he said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should face it and answer questions raised by Opposition on various graft issues.
"The Opposition is being targeted for non-functioning of Parliament and it is not proper. People may get enraged about the non-functioning of Parliament," he said.

Terming as improper the leak of the draft report of Joint Parliamentary Committee on 2G spectrum allocation, he flayed panel chief P C Chacko's refusal to summon the Prime Minister, Finance Minister and former Telecom Minister A Raja.
He also said China's 'intrusion and incursion' in Ladak region should not be ignored and there should be no compromise on territorial integrity.

"India and China as neighbouring countries should resolve the present crisis by meaningful dialogue...," Raja said.
Referring to the recurring arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen by Sri Lanka, he favoured revisiting the Katchatheevu agreement under which India ceded the islet in the Palk Strait to Lanka.
Backing Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's stand on the issue, he said it should not be brushed aside. The traditional fishing rights of Indian fishermen should be restored.
Accusing both Congress and BJP of following same economic policies which led to present economic 'crisis', he said there was a need for political change and the Left was attempting to unite other parties, including regional parties.