Coal blocks allocation: SP, Left demand judicial probe

NEW DELHI: Opening a new front against the Government, UPA's outside supporter Samajwadi Party joined hands with the Left parties and TDP today to demand a judicial probe into coal blocks allocation and cancellation of licenses failng which they threatened to launch a countrywide agitation.

SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav staged a dharna at the main entrance of the Parliament building along with leaders from the CPI, CPI(M), RSP, Forward Block and TDP.

They claimed to have support from eight parties for their demand.

More than 30 MPs from these parties staged the dharna which began around 10.30 AM. The MPs including Yadav, CPI leader D Raja and TDP's Nama Nageshwar Rao shouted slogans and carried placards for inquiry into the coal scam and cancellation of allotments of coal blocks.

They demanded that the Parliament should be allowed to function and to put an end to the "match-fixing" of the Congress and the BJP to disrupt it.

After the 20-minute dharna, Yadav told reporters, "We demand that a sitting Supreme Court judge or the CBI should inquire into the scam. If they don't order a probe, we will fight at the national level and go to the people on the issue".

Asked if the parties would continue to be together in the future and whether this was the beginning of a Third Front, he said, "This will continue and whatever you want to think, you can do that.

"We want the coal block licences should be cancelled and there should be a discussion on the issue in Parliament," he said.