PM using Law Minister as human shield,says BJP

Announces plan to hold street protests in state capitals on May 4-5

The BJP on Sunday made it clear that it will not back down on its demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and that of Law Minister Ashwani Kumar in the wake of revelations that the PMO and the minister had vetted the CBIs probe status report on coal block allocations. The main opposition party again targeted the Prime Minister,saying he was using the Law Minister as a human shield knowing well that he will be next in the firing line.

A day after the PM rejected the Oppositions demand for Kumars resignation,the BJP announced plans to hold street protests over the issue. It alleged the Law Minister asked the CBI to share its status report with the direct consent and order from the Prime Minister. The Law Minister did it with the direct consent and order from the Prime Minister. So the Prime Ministers complicity and culpability is also very well established. He Kumar looked at the CBI report at the instance of the PM, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters.

Sticking to its demand,the BJP is unlikely to allow Parliament to function on Monday as well although Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath is set to meet Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj to find a way to end the stalemate. The government is expected to seek the Opposition cooperation to ensure the passage of the Finance Bill and the Railway Budget. Javadekar,however,said the government first has to answer why they did what they have done till now.

Reacting to the Prime Ministers assertion that the Opposition was making a mockery of democracy by not allowing Parliament to function and the whole world was laughing,Javadekar said the fact is that they are laughing at us for the corruption in the country and how attempts are being made to cover it up.

We want to ask the Prime Minister. Is it not a fact that you have signed on the papers for allocation of coal blocks in whatever cases have come to light in the coal scam? We completely reject the Prime Ministers statement that the Law Minister will not resign, he said,adding that an abominable attempt is being made by the government to cover up corruption that has surfaced on the coal issue.

If Parliament is not running,its not us but the Congress which is responsible. They do not want discussion and hence do not allow Parliament to run because they have to engage in covering up this massive corruption, Javadekar said. The BJP,he said,would organise street protests in all state capitals on May 4 and 5 over the issue.