 "Congress defends Law minister Ashwani Kumar")
Defending Law Minister Ashwani Kumar who’s now controversial meeting with the Attorney General, ASG and his alleged interference with the CBI’s status report in the Coalgate scam, has landed the UPA in a soup, derailing Parliament functioning; the Congress is adopting a cautious stance.
The party in fact is waiting for the apex court’s verdict on May 8th. Kumar met party spokespersons and senior Cabinet ministers, explaining his stand. Party spokesperson Sandeep Dikshit today said, “He ( Ashwani Kumar) met us yesterday and explained to us the sequence of events. He said he has done no wrong. CBI will file its affidavit on 6th.” Adding, “We stand by him so long as there is no reason to believe otherwise.”
Kumar’s meeting with party men was crucial as partymen say “it was becoming extremely difficult to defend Ashwani Kumar in the face of all that was being reported.” What was also of great concern was that in the wake of this controversy, important bills
such as the Food bill and the Land bill were being scuttled as the Opposition disrupted Parliament every day demanding the resignation of the Law Minister.
Sources say that Kumar attempted to defend his actions, telling the partymen, that he has been made “collateral damage”. Insiders who were present at the meeting and did not want to be quoted maintained that he was “increasingly becoming a liability” for the party.
Sandeep Diskhit today also said, “We have firm belief in what the Law Minister has said that he has done nothing illegal, nothing improper. There is no reason for us to disbelieve Ashwani Kumar. He is an eminent lawyer and a man of great standing and of great integrity.”
The controversy which has already resulted in the resignation of ASG Harin Raval who blamed the Attorney General for making him a “scape goat” and lying before the court, has also seen the Law Minister Ashwani Kumar claiming that he did not call the CBI director to the meeting. There is now a full blown breach between the government and its Law officers.
Explaing his case, to Union Ministers Jairam Ramesh, Pawan Kumar Bansal, Jayanthi Natarajan, Rajiv Shukla, Manish Tewari, and party leaders Janardan Dwivedi, Mohan Prakash, Raj Babbar, Girija Vyas and party spokespersons Sandip Dikshit, Rashid Alvi and Renuka Chowdhary; Kumar insisted that he has made only made “one or two minor changes”. When asked by them whether any PMO officials were present at the meeting he had stated that part from the AG, ASG, CBI director and another CBI official nobody else was present.
Kumar’s rationale for not making a statement explaining his stand in the wake of these allegations has been that, he might be accused by the Opposition of influencing the CBI which is expected to submit its affidavit on May 6th. Several Congressmen however think otherwise and would like Kumar to speak up to save the party a few blushes.
The Law minister’s tenability it can be surmised is linked to the apex court’s view on May 8th. The court after receiving the CBI report on 6th is likely to announce its verdict on 8th.
The Law minister has been taking the stand that he had called the meeting with the Law officers to arbitrate on differences over whether the CBI report should be an affidavit or submitted in a sealed cover to the court as it pertained to matters of an ongoing investigation.
The party in fact is waiting for the apex court’s verdict on May 8th. Kumar met party spokespersons and senior Cabinet ministers, explaining his stand. Party spokesperson Sandeep Dikshit today said, “He ( Ashwani Kumar) met us yesterday and explained to us the sequence of events. He said he has done no wrong. CBI will file its affidavit on 6th.” Adding, “We stand by him so long as there is no reason to believe otherwise.”
Kumar’s meeting with party men was crucial as partymen say “it was becoming extremely difficult to defend Ashwani Kumar in the face of all that was being reported.” What was also of great concern was that in the wake of this controversy, important bills
such as the Food bill and the Land bill were being scuttled as the Opposition disrupted Parliament every day demanding the resignation of the Law Minister.
More From This Section
Sources say that Kumar attempted to defend his actions, telling the partymen, that he has been made “collateral damage”. Insiders who were present at the meeting and did not want to be quoted maintained that he was “increasingly becoming a liability” for the party.
Sandeep Diskhit today also said, “We have firm belief in what the Law Minister has said that he has done nothing illegal, nothing improper. There is no reason for us to disbelieve Ashwani Kumar. He is an eminent lawyer and a man of great standing and of great integrity.”
The controversy which has already resulted in the resignation of ASG Harin Raval who blamed the Attorney General for making him a “scape goat” and lying before the court, has also seen the Law Minister Ashwani Kumar claiming that he did not call the CBI director to the meeting. There is now a full blown breach between the government and its Law officers.
Explaing his case, to Union Ministers Jairam Ramesh, Pawan Kumar Bansal, Jayanthi Natarajan, Rajiv Shukla, Manish Tewari, and party leaders Janardan Dwivedi, Mohan Prakash, Raj Babbar, Girija Vyas and party spokespersons Sandip Dikshit, Rashid Alvi and Renuka Chowdhary; Kumar insisted that he has made only made “one or two minor changes”. When asked by them whether any PMO officials were present at the meeting he had stated that part from the AG, ASG, CBI director and another CBI official nobody else was present.
Kumar’s rationale for not making a statement explaining his stand in the wake of these allegations has been that, he might be accused by the Opposition of influencing the CBI which is expected to submit its affidavit on May 6th. Several Congressmen however think otherwise and would like Kumar to speak up to save the party a few blushes.
The Law minister’s tenability it can be surmised is linked to the apex court’s view on May 8th. The court after receiving the CBI report on 6th is likely to announce its verdict on 8th.
The Law minister has been taking the stand that he had called the meeting with the Law officers to arbitrate on differences over whether the CBI report should be an affidavit or submitted in a sealed cover to the court as it pertained to matters of an ongoing investigation.