BJP slams Congress, Chidambaram for 'mocking' CAG

BJP today attacked Congress and Finance Minister P Chidambaram for "mocking" the CAG and said the Congress will have to pay a heavy political price for indulging in corruption.

Charging the Congress with adopting double standards, the opposition party again demanded Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's resignation and an impartial probe into alleged irregularities in coal blocks allocation while seeking their cancellation.

"BJP condemns Finance Minister for attacking and mocking the CAG once again. He has done so in 2G. Now he is doing so on coal issue also," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters here.

He said, "The Congress cannot get away by mocking at the CAG. It will have to pay a heavy political price for the continuous and unabated indulgence in corruption."

Hitting out at Chidambaram, the BJP leader said it seems the Congress has decided to attack any constitutional body or anyone who highlights corruption done by it.

"The minister who is running away from any probe and accountability of his role in 2G scam is indulging in brazen insinuation of CAG (which) is condemnable," he said.

Javadekar said the people of the country are disgusted with the "corruption-riddled" UPA government and are waiting for an opportunity to punish the Congress.

17 billion tonnes of coal reserves worth Rs 15 lakh have been crore given on a platter for free to 140 private companies, he alleged, adding the Congress was indulging in "monumental" corruption

"The country has seen how brazenly the Congress is looting the country. The coal scam is the worst kind of corruption....

It is a monumental corruption," he said.

Accusing the Congress of double standards, Javadekar said, "In the CWG case the final signatory was Suresh Kalmadi, but in coal block allocation the Prime Minister as Coal minister has his signatures, but it (Congress) is not ready to accept this."

He said there was no benefit for treasury and the customer. "The Congress is looting and benefiting," he alleged, criticising the "non-transparent, arbitrary and discretionary" process in allocation of coal blocks.

He said the scam was clear after the CBI registered seven cases and the Inter-Ministerial Group cancelled more than two dozen coal blocks allotted by Prime Minister and bank guarantees of more than 30 coal blocks stand cancelled.

"It is very clear to the nation that this is monumental corruption. Still the Finance Minister has the audacity to cast aspersions on CAG and not accept the corruption and the loot they are indulging into," Javadekar said.

The BJP leader said the Finance Minister's statement is "highly irresponsible" and "is a blatant attempt to divert the attention of the people from the neck deep corruption."

He said the Congress, instead of challenging the figures, should explain the fact.

The BJP demanded that the Prime Minister while accepting moral responsibility should resign. "The BJP also demands an impartial probe and cancellation of all coal blocks allotted after 2004," Javadekar said.