Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: In a scathing attack on the UPA government, the main opposition party BJP on Wednesday questioned why Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is refusing to present himself for CBI questioning on the issue of missing coal scam files.
Speaking on the issue, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said the government has to respond on how it will move ahead with the procedure pertaining to the investigation relating to the missing coal files.
“There is an attempt to make this case reach a dead end. Crucial documentary evidence is destroyed, oral evidence isn`t allowed," Jaitley said while asking, “How will the investigation take place in the absence of evidences?
Jaitley questioned did CBI ask for PM`s questioning?
Earlier in the Lok Sabha, Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj said today that Dr Manmohan Singh should volunteer himself for CBI questioning in the coal allocation scam.
The BJP leader further alleged why he (PM) is evading all questions, and thereby causing a deadlock in the investigations.
Swaraj also hit out at the government for failing to register an FIR in the missing coal scam files case.
Addressing the lawmakers, Sushma said that 189 files relating to the coal scam have gone missing.
Asking if the government is really serious about finding the missing files, the BJP leader said if the government doesn’t register an FIR, then its intention will be in doubt.
Sushma opened the discussion on the missing coal files as part of a compromise formula reached between the government and the main opposition BJP to end the deadlock in Parliament.
As part of the formula, both the Leaders of Opposition were to speak first on the matter in both the Houses.
The compromise was reached at a meeting attended by Union ministers P Chidambaram and Kamal Nath and BJP leaders L K Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
Both the Houses had earlier in the day faced repeated disruptions over several issues, important among them being the coal scam files issue.
Separately, BJP leaders Yashwant Sinha and Balbir Punj also demanded the interrogation of the Prime Minister to further investigations in the Coal Scam.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had also appealed to BJP leaders to allow the Parliament to function in order to allow the passage of several key bills, at a dinner last night.
