Govt.is in dock

CBI Dir Ranjit Sinha has submitted status report before the Supreme Court on coal allocation scam. He has said that it was shared with Law Min Ashwani Kumar as desired by him and the senior officials of PMO and Coal ministry. The two-page affidavit was filed by CBI on the direction of the apex court. It contradicts the claim made by CBI counsel on the last date of hearing that the Coalgate scam report was not shared with any member of the government. It is a serious violation of the apex court’s direction. The CBI is already facing charges that it acts on the direction of the Central government. It is also no secret that all successive governments irrespective of political party have misused the CBI to protect its interest. The sharing of status report with Govt. strengthens this perception. In the coal block scandal, CBI is probing under the direction of the Supreme Court. In the given situation, it has shown the draft status report to Law Minister as desired by him, PMO and coal ministry official. It is natural that sharing report with the law minister, PMO and coal ministry official will certainly cast doubt on the intention of the government. The CBI in its draft status report has not made clear that whether either the law ministry or the PMO vetted or any of its suggestions were incorporated in it. The sharing of draft status report with law minister is violation of law as it was prepared to be submitted before the Supreme Court. It means that the law minister undermined the direction of the apex court. BJP demands resignation of the Prime Minister and sacking of the law minister. Govt. rejects BJP's demand outright. But no effort is made either by the Government or by the Opposition BJP to find a way out to break deadlock in Parliament so that a threadbare discussion on the coal block scam could be held and the entire nation would know who is guilty or who is not guilty. Though CBI has assured the apex court that it would not share its report any further, 30th April has been fixed for the hearing of the coal scandal case. Government could take decision on the fate of law minister Ashwani Kumar’s continuance in the ministry after 30th April. As far as coal scandal is concerned, the joint parliamentary standing committee report points finger on involvement of both NDA and UPA. Since both Congress and BJP are involved in coal block scandal, both does not want any discussion on the subject in Parliament. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's credibility has also come under scanner only because the coal ministry was under him during 2006 to 2008 and coal blocks were allotted during this period. All rules and regulations were thrown to the winds in allotting coal blocks. PM’s honesty and integrity may be unquestioned but it is on him to appear so also in the public.