Lucknow, Sep 11: Coal Minister Shriprakash Jaiswal Tuesday termed the BJP's allegation of irregularities in coal blocks allocation as "false" and a "face saving measure".
Jaiswal said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did not agree to a debate in parliament as it would have revealed the party's involvement in the allocation of coal blocks.
The Comptroller and Auditor General's (CAG) report has estimated that the allocation of coal blocks caused huge losses to the exchequer.
"A debate in parliament would have revealed the truth, but the BJP is shying away from truth and levelling false allegations before the media," the minister said.
He said the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government had allocated 32 coal blocks, including 16 to private parties, without any advertisement.
He accused BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad of indulging in falsehoods by his statement that coal blocks were allocated by the UPA-II government.
"These are false allegations... a face saving measure," the minister said.
"Anyone who has any doubts or suspicions about coal block allocations can get all details from my ministry," he said.
