Coal-gate: Mulayam Singh Yadav wants debate in Parliament, joins hands with Left, TDP to protest disruption
New Delhi: In what could be fresh headache for the ruling Congress, Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party has joined hands with the Left and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to hold a protest over what is now being called the 'coal-gate' scam.
Mr Yadav announced this in the capital today after a meeting with the leaders of the Left and the TDP. At a joint presser held with CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta, he said his party, along with the Left, the TDP and the BJD, would hold a dharna tomorrow to demand restoration of normalcy in Parliament and also a debate on the coal allocation issue. Mr Yadav also said that he wants a sitting Supreme Court Judge to investigate the allegations in the scam.
Earlier this week, Mulayam Singh Yadav's party had demanded an explanation from the government over the controversial allocation of coal blocks that the government's auditor says has caused a loss of Rs. 1.86 lakh crore to the national exchequer. But Mr Yadav, who has bailed out the Congress on numerous occasions in Parliament over crucial issues, did not to embarrass the latter by aligning with the BJP. It reportedly turned down a BJP invitation to attend a meeting of opposition parties to discuss strategy on the coal allocation issue.
Mr Yadav announced this in the capital today after a meeting with the leaders of the Left and the TDP. At a joint presser held with CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta, he said his party, along with the Left, the TDP and the BJD, would hold a dharna tomorrow to demand restoration of normalcy in Parliament and also a debate on the coal allocation issue. Mr Yadav also said that he wants a sitting Supreme Court Judge to investigate the allegations in the scam.
Earlier this week, Mulayam Singh Yadav's party had demanded an explanation from the government over the controversial allocation of coal blocks that the government's auditor says has caused a loss of Rs. 1.86 lakh crore to the national exchequer. But Mr Yadav, who has bailed out the Congress on numerous occasions in Parliament over crucial issues, did not to embarrass the latter by aligning with the BJP. It reportedly turned down a BJP invitation to attend a meeting of opposition parties to discuss strategy on the coal allocation issue.
But political analysts say Mr Yadav's announcement today can be seen as sign of a new front emerging against the government.
Congress' Ambika Soni dismissed Mr Yadav's demand and said "You can't just demand probes out of thin air. Everyone wants to resolve issue, bring people to justice. But all that will happen only if there is a discussion," she said.
Demanding the PM's resignation over the coal report, the BJP has stalled Parliament for seven days now. And uproar over the issue forced repeated adjournments in both Houses today as well.
The BJP has said it will accept nothing less than the resignation of Dr Manmohan Singh for allegedly allowing private firms to gain thousands of crores because they were sold hugely under-priced coal fields. It has rejected the Congress-led government's offer that the PM will make a statement on the matter.
Congress' Ambika Soni dismissed Mr Yadav's demand and said "You can't just demand probes out of thin air. Everyone wants to resolve issue, bring people to justice. But all that will happen only if there is a discussion," she said.
Demanding the PM's resignation over the coal report, the BJP has stalled Parliament for seven days now. And uproar over the issue forced repeated adjournments in both Houses today as well.
The BJP has said it will accept nothing less than the resignation of Dr Manmohan Singh for allegedly allowing private firms to gain thousands of crores because they were sold hugely under-priced coal fields. It has rejected the Congress-led government's offer that the PM will make a statement on the matter.
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