Flaying the Opposition for linking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the coal block allocation scam, Union Minister Praful Patel lauded his personal integrity and deprecated "overactivism" in several quarters which could hamper decision making.
"Nobody can question the personal integrity of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. To say that the allocation was irregular or out of context or it was done illegally by Manmohan Singh or by some other PM would be the most wrong thing to say," Patel told reporters.
"Another thing which is emerging out of all this is that in a government process if everybody starts questioning personal integrity, a stage will come when nobody in government will be able to take any decision.
"I am in government and I know that senior bureaucrats, IAS officers, even political leaders are wary to take decisions in the larger interest. What India needs is development and decision making," he said.
"If India does not take decisions, if government does not take decisions, then it will be to the detriment of the nation," the senior NCP leader said, adding "I think an unnecessary panic is also being spread in the name of certain over-activism."
Asked if by "over-activism" he was referring to judiciary or CAG, the minister said, "I have not referred to judiciary. I referred to certain over-activism which goes on in many quarters...I have nothing to comment on the role of judiciary."
NCP chief Sharad Pawar had recently criticised the Opposition for linking the PM to the coal scam.
"It is an unfair propaganda against the Prime Minister. He is a personality who is respected the world over and it is unfortunate that such accusations should be made against someone of his stature," Pawar had said.
