Ashwani Kumar should resign, says Karat

May 02, 2013 01:00 am | Updated November 16, 2021 08:30 pm IST - BANGALORE:

Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Prakash Karat on Wednesday said Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar’s resignation was absolutely necessary to uphold the integrity of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

At a Meet the Press programme organised by the Bangalore Reporters’ Guild and Press Club of Bangalore, Mr. Karat said Mr. Kumar should resign in the light of the strictures passed by the Supreme Court on Tuesday during a hearing in the coal block allocation scam case.

“I am surprised by the silence of the Prime Minister [over the issue]. A senior official from the Prime Minister’s Office was present in the meeting [where the CBI’s status report was discussed with the Law Minister]. This [the disclosure] was sought to be covered up,” Mr. Karat noted.

Answering a question about insulating the CBI from the political executive, Mr. Karat said the only solution was to bring the agency under the proposed Lokpal system.

Speaking about China’s reported intrusion into Indian territory across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, Mr. Karat said the issue should be taken up at a higher level. With the External Affairs Minister visiting China next week, the issue could be sorted out amicably, he said.

To a question why India should engage in ‘defensive’ diplomacy, Mr. Karat said negotiation was the best way to settle issues. “LAC itself is a matter of interpretation and pending the final solution, we should continue dispute resolution. Unfortunately, some people in this country think military use can solve [the problem]. It is not proper.”

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.