Hitting out at the government for not preventing the series of scams, including those relating to the Commonwealth Games and the Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society, the Opposition on Tuesday said the resignation of Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan was not enough.
Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha during zero hour, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Basudeb Acharia, Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj and Janata Dal (United) chief Sharad Yadav demanded a probe into the scams and a statement from the government. They said it was a matter of concern that major scams had taken place during the two sessions of Parliament.
Mr. Acharia said that when the Adarsh scam was exposed the entire nation had been put to shame. “Though the Chief Minister has resigned, merely quitting the post is not enough. An independent probe is required. The government owes an explanation to the people,” he said, while seeking punishment for all those who are found guilty, including the “political bosses.” Action should be taken against those responsible for corruption and nepotism, he added.
Supporting the Left's stand, Ms. Swaraj said apart from these scams, there were “major scandals” even in the government's flagship programmes like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and the highways projects.
Amid repeated disruptions by members of the Treasury benches, she said the Opposition had waited for Parliament sessions to start to raise the issues, but they are not even allowed to speak here. “If the House is not being allowed to function, it is not the Opposition but the ruling party which is to be blamed.”
Parliamentary Affairs Minister P.K. Bansal who intervened asked Ms. Swaraj “not to be so sensitive” and assured her that the issues would be debated as the government was ready for discussion.
Mr. Yadav also demanded a full-fledged debate on the scandals, saying “corruption was spreading in all spheres of our lives, like blood in our veins.” He claimed that the CWG scam was to the tune of Rs. 70,000 crore to Rs. 90,000 crore.
The Left parties moved an adjournment motion on the corruption issue, while other Opposition parties said they would raise the issues, including rotting foodgrains and problems in Kashmir, during this session.
