The government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday locked horns over the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the Commonwealth Games but senior ministers rejected any wrongdoing by the prime minister office or Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, contending neither had been indicted.
Parliament was stalled by an aggressive Opposition with BJP taking the lead in demanding Dikshit’s resignation on the ground that she and her government had been thoroughly indicted by the CAG over several irregularities in the Games projects. In the midst of a stand-off, the government agreed for a discussion tomorrow on the statement by Sports Minister Ajay Maken, whom the Opposition has accused of misleading Parliament on appointment of Suresh Kalmadi as CWG Organising Committee Chairman. With both Houses of Parliament not transacting any business, the battle was fought outside with the BJP targeting the PMO, Dikshit and Maken and announcing that it would not allow the government “even single moment of relief” till aFIR is filed against Dikshit and made to resign.
The Congress party and the government hit back and put up a strong defence of the PMO, Dikshit as well as Maken. The party went a step further and attacked the CAG on “leaks and squeaks” and questioned its jurisdiction on policy issues.
Senior Ministers Kapil Sibal, Salman Khurshid and Ambika Soni contended there was no indictment of the PMO or Dikshit in the CAG report. There are only references to them and that does not mean indictment, they said. Sibal virtually ruled out resignations on the basis of CAG report references, saying such a demand would make the government dysfunctional in Parliament.
The Union ministers said the Opposition should allow Constitutional processes to play themselves out and not disrupt Parliament even before that. They said they were prepared for any discussion in Parliament on issues but the Opposition should allow the House to run. “The simple fact is the CAG report goes to the Public Accounts Committee (of Parliament) which recommends action and then Parliament comes into picture,” Sibal said.