Gandhinagar: BJP veteran L K Advani on Monday termed as "deeply disappointing" Prime Minister Manmohan Singh`s statement on coal allocation and said the defence mounted by the Government on the issue resembles the reasons given by Congress at the time of imposing Emergency.
"I am deeply disappointed by the statement of the Prime Minister," he said in a reply to a question on Singh rebutting all charges in alleged coal block allocation scam.
"In the days of Emergency, the Prime Minister of the ruling party had said they had to impose it due to judiciary and state of democracy. This is the same thing when the PM blames federalism (Oppn-ruled states apparently opposed competitive bidding of coal blocks), the Law Ministry and attacks constitutional bodies like CAG," he said.
"Today I recollect that one of the Speakers (of Lok Sabha) had said that to attack CAG is to attack a constitutional body. And now when the Prime Minister himself is doing it, this is very surprising," said Advani, who was hear to attend a function.
"Supreme Court has said one of the salient features of the Constitution is federalism and he is blaming federalism for corruption," the former Deputy Prime Minister said.
PTI
