The Bharatiya Janata Party took serious exception to the Congress’ attack on Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai and wanted to know from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh if his government endorsed the party line.
At a news conference here, BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said it did not behove a ruling party to attack a constitutional body.
On Monday, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari alleged that the CAG was as much responsible as the BJP for the disruption of the just-concluded monsoon session of Parliament. “It has led to roadblocks in governance and has maligned India’s image internationally.”
The BJP leader pointed out that the Congress attacked the CAG when it gave its report on the allocation of 2G spectrum licences on the first come-first serve basis.
The decision of the government to cancel the licences on the direction of the Supreme Court and auction them had vindicated the position of the CAG.
“It is the Congress’ scheme to first refuse, then deny and ridicule, knowing that the CAG will not be joining issue with them publicly as it is a constitutional body. The BJP condemns the accusations against the CAG. It is okay to have different views on the CAG. But we want to know the opinion of the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi on this issue,” he said.
Demanding a probe into fresh reports in the media on alleged irregularities in the allocation of coal blocks to relatives of some of the United Progressive Alliance functionaries, the BJP released purported documents to show how the present UPA government had allocated 17 coal blocks to 36 companies without going through the screening committee.
“It is truly amazing that the entrepreneurial skills of the kith and kin of UPA Ministers shine only when the brothers are Ministers,” Mr. Prasad said.
