New Delhi, Aug 18: With CAG reports providing ammunition to Opposition to attack Prime Minister, Congress on Friday dismissed BJP's demand for his resignation while party chief Sonia Gandhi held a “strategy meeting” with senior ministers and party leaders.
Defence Minister A K Antony, Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and Minister of State for PMO V Narayanasamy among others attended the strategy session at Gandhi's residence.
The meeting took place hours after the government faced a fusillade from the CAG which has estimated “undue benefits” of over Rs 3.8 lakh crore to private parties in coal blocks allotment without bidding, Delhi airport development and diversion of coal to a power project.
The three CAG reports on coal allocation, development of Delhi airport by GMR-led DIAL and ultra mega power project of Reliance Power Ltd were tabled in Parliament today.
The Opposition was quick to capitalise on the CAG reports with BJP demanding that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh resign owning “moral, political and personal” responsibility for the wrongful loss due to coal block allocations. At the AICC briefing, party spokesperson Manish Tewari rejected the BJP's demand as “uncalled for, unwarranted and attempt to score political brownie points”.
Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal also rubbished the reports saying they were not in agreement with the CAG calculation while Minister of State in the PMO V Narayanasamy said the auditor has not followed the Constitutional mandate.
