Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari on Monday said all predecessors of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh who held the coal portfolio from 1993 should also be summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), if the latter has to face the investigation agency in the Coalgate investigations.
Tewari emphasized that the Prime Minister has a perfect track record in government and there has never been a question with regard to his integrity and probity in public life.
"If at all, this is being speculated, I would request keep this in mind that this should be a principle which should apply across the board," said Tewari.
"We must keep in mind that the coal allocation covers the entire period from 1993 to 2009 and during this period various other ministers, former Prime Ministers and leaders of other political parties have also held charge of the Coal Ministry," he added.
Tewari, who was commenting on Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath's remark that the Prime Minister will make himself available to CBI in the Coalgate investigation if a formal request is made, said an attempt has been made to politicise things in the ongoing investigations.
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"The PM has impeccable track record in the government. There has never ever been a question with regard to the integrity of the PM. It is most unfortunate an attempt has been made to politicise things in the ongoing investigations," he said.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, had last week blamed the involvement of top government officials in the coal blocks allocation scam, and demanded that an FIR should instantly be registered.
"The first question that I want to ask the Prime Minister is the same as the Supreme Court asked the government that why has no FIR been lodged. It should be lodged and if no FIR is lodged then the conscience of the government will be under question," she said.
The BJP has held the Prime Minister responsible and demanded his resignation for an estimated loss of Rs 1.86 lakh crores to the national exchequer by the CAG in connection with the coal block allocation.
The CAG report does not indict the Prime Minister or his office, but the BJP is emphasizing that the Prime Minister held direct charge of the coal ministry for the years under scrutiny.
