No question of Pawan Kumar Bansal, Ashwani Kumar resigning: Congress

Rebutting Opposition’s demand for resignation of Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on railway bribery case and Law Minister Ashwani Kumar on coalgate, Congress said any decision will be taken after investigations culminate.

Zee Media Bureau New Delhi: Rebutting Opposition’s demand for resignation of Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on the railway bribery case and Law Minister Ashwani Kumar on the coalgate, Congress on Sunday said any decision on the issue will be taken only after investigations culminate. Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said, “No decision will be taken until investigations conclude. Let the investigation fructify…..let’s not prejudge.”

Clarifying on what government’s course of action in the coalgate issue could be, he said, “The matter is sub-judice, if government has anything to say, we will tell court.” And upon allegations of the governmetn interfering in CBI`s functioning, he said, “UPA govt has never interfered in any investigation.” The Congress core group had met on Sunday at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s 7, Race Course Road residence, to discuss the fate of Railways Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal whose name had featured in a bribery case. Apart from PM, senior members of Congress like Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Defence Minister AK Antony and Minister of Urban Developmen Kamal Nath were present at the meeting. This came a day after the Congress Core Group, headed by party president Sonia Gandhi, met on Saturday at the residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the issue. Earlier on Saturday, the Prime Minister also called and talked to Bansal. According to sources, Bansal had explained his position claiming he had no business links with his nephew, Vijay Singla, nor did he get influenced by him in decision making. On his part, Bansal had distanced himself from his nephew who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for allegedly accepting Rs 90 lakh for fixing a better position for Railway Board member Mahesh Kumar.