Patna, Aug 30: BJP on Wednesday said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was giving himself a clean chit in the Rs 1.86 lakh crore coal blocks allocation scam after giving one to A Raja in the 2G spectrum scam and Suresh Kalmadi in the CWG scam.
BJP national spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy alleged that the Prime Minister had personally signed the allotment of 142 coal mines between 2005-09 when he held additional charge of coal and asked Singh to explain why he took six years to adopt the tender process to make the allotments to private companies.
An important fact attached to the coal mine allocation issue was that the prime minister had at that time decided that the coal mine allocation system would be changed and instead the allotment would be done through tenders, Rudy told reporters.
Had the Prime Minister not framed the law and continued the allotment through the screening committee, CAG would not have raised its finger at him, he said.
Rudy said when BJP had raised the issue of 2G spectrum allotment irregularities, Union Minister Kapil Sibal had rubbished the allegation and said it was an estimated zero deficit allegation.
“Now Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram is describing the coal mine allotment scam of Rs 1.86 lakh crore as hypothetical and zero,” he said.
