BJP demands PM's resignation for fair probe in Coalgate

MUMBAI: Demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, BJP today said an independent probe in the coal allocation scam was not possible till he occupies the top post.

Party Vice-President Balbir Punj told reporters here that the CBI which had acted swiftly in the Rail scam, involving Pawan Bansal, has chosen not to show enough activism in the Coalgate investigation.

"Some action has been taken against bribe givers, but not against bribe takers in the Coalgate," the BJP leader alleged.

Law Minister Ashwini Kumar had to quit because he was involved in the cover up operation of this fraud, he said.

According to Punj, CBI should have interrogated Singh who held the Cabinet portfolio of coal department for a significant period of time.

"All the Ministers of State (for coal) Dasari Narayan Rao, Santosh Bargodia and Sriprakash Jaiswal during this period were from the Congress and not alliance partners," he said.

"It is impractical and impossible to expect CBI to reach out to the masterminds of the scam with Manmohan Singh occupying the office of the Prime Minister," he alleged.

To a question why BJP was not bringing a no-confidence motion against the UPA, Punj claimed that his party was not doing it at the moment since the "floor management with respect to Samajwadi party and BSP was done by the CBI."

Congress was forced to sack Bansal and Kumar due to BJP's pressure, Punj claimed.

"The Parliament session ended two days before schedule and the two ministers were asked to resign just to give a message that the sacking was not done due to opposition pressure," he said.