BJP asks why PM isn't being quizzed over missing coal files

New Delhi: Accusing the government of trying to sabotage the investigation into the missing coal block allocation files, BJP today demanded that the UPA dispensation reveal why the Prime Minister is not being questioned and an FIR not lodged on the “stolen” files. In a statement issued today, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley referred to a newspaper report which quoted CBI official KR Chaurasia as stating that the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh “requires to be questioned” as he held the Coal portfolio from 2006-09. [caption id=“attachment_1085167” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Manmohan Singh. AFP[/caption] “The coal block allocation scam is becoming murkier and murkier…. The consequence of this (Chaurasia’s demand) is critical to the investigation. A substantially large number of files/ documents/ applications connected with the coal block allocation scam have disappeared. The documentary evidence is missing,” the two leaders said in their joint statement. In such a scenario where “documentary evidence has disappeared”, BJP said CBI will have to be dependent on the oral evidence which includes examination of those likely to be in the know of relevant facts. “The oral examination is not being permitted. The consequences of this will be critical and adverse to the investigation. It seems that the effort of the UPA government is to sabotage the investigation and render it ineffective,” they said. The party demanded that government register an FIR on the case of stolen files and explain whey this has not yet been done. The main opposition charged that the coal blocks were allocated in an “arbitrary” manner and at virtually no cost. Favourites of the Congress were chosen for this and ruling party leaders acted as name-lenders. “The Prime Minister acting as the Coal Minister and the Prime Minister’s Office approved the list of favourites arbitrarily chosen,” BJP alleged. “As Members of the principal Opposition we are constrained to believe that the documentary evidence in terms of files has been made to disappear,” the two leaders said. BJP demanded that government assure that no further tampering and doctoring of the probe will take place, disclose the material on whose basis the PM requires to be examined, and the reasons on basis of which the PM’s examination is not being permitted. PTI