With the CBI registering a fresh case against Jindal Steel and Power Limited, Gagan Sponge and two other companies in the coal scam, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday reiterated its demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, who had direct charge of the Coal Ministry for some of the years under scrutiny.
BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said the raids being conducted by the CBI are very important, and added that the investigating agency must take these raids to a logical conclusion.
"They must go after the money trail. After all, out of ten or twelve applicants why somebody was chosen, in what consideration and how much money he gave to whom that money trail is the important aspect of this scam and that must come through because government is trying to hinder the probe in the coal scam to save the Prime Minister because Prime Minister was the Coal Minister, under his signature the coal blocks are allocated. Now, all those blocks are being probed into," he added.
Alleging that there are irregularities and corruption in the coal blocks allocation, Javadekar said this is the main reason as to why the government is not allowing the CBI to probe former Coal Secretary H C Gupta.
"BJP demands that the government must immediately give permission to the CBI to probe the then Coal Secretary Mr. Gupta so that the truth can come out. And there should be no interference by the government, they did it first through Ashwani Kumar, now they are doing it through the PMO, this is absolutely condemnable," he added.
In a new case filed today in the coal scam, the CBI has named Congress MP Naveen Jindal, his company Jindal Power and Steel, and former Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayan Rao.
The FIR has charged Jindal and his company with misrepresentation of facts and concealing previous allotments. They are also charged with cheating and forgery. This is the 12th FIR filed in the scam.
The CBI raided Jindal's home and offices this morning.
In May, Ashwani Kumar was forced to quit as Law Minister after allegations that he tried to influence the CBI's investigation.
