Attack on CAG a step towards ending accountability,says Murli Manohar Joshi

First the Prime Minister said that facts of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG),which conducted the inquiry into the coal block allotment,were not correct and the basis of estimated losses was wrong,Joshi said.

“Then Digvijay Singh said that CAG has political aspirations and he presented the report for political gains. He said that CAG was with the opposition,” said the BJP leader.

Joshi alleged that instead of extending support in inquiry into these scams,efforts were being made to end it.

The BJP leader said,”neither any comment nor any allegation could be levelled against the CAG.”

“In 1960 the then defence minister Krishna Menon made a comment against CAG in which a contempt notice was brought and the then Speaker ruled that no comment should be made,leading to which the minister apologised,” he said.

Joshi alleged that it was clear that instead of exposing Congress was making efforts to conceal scams.

“CAG has not levelled any allegation against anyone. It has simply said that some private companies benefitted from the process through which allotments were made. It made it clear that the process was not right resulting into losses,” he alleged.

Joshi also said that the Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s statement of zero loss was laughable.

However,on August 27,Chidambaram had said the government never talked about “zero loss” in allocation of coal blocks and complained of “incorrect reporting” by the media of his remarks on the issue.

Joshi said that an inquiry should be conducted that why coal was blocked in the mines for six to seven years.

When the Prime Minister himself has said something against the CAG,then officers and ministers will also follow the same line,he said.

“It was a step towards ending accountability from the parliamentary procedure,” Joshi said.

“We want that when the Prime Minister returns he should clear his comment before the Parliament,” he said.

The BJP leader said that as the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee it was his responsibility to chase money.

“I chase money to ensure that hard earned money of the people is utilised in their welfare. If select few business houses are benefitted then it would effect the people. In that case PAC will do its job,” he said.

He said that an inquiry should be conducted into the scams and the Prime Minister should assure that he would not let his comment come into the way of the probe.

The BJP leader said that CAG was internationally reputed organisation and devaluating it was not good.

On the party’s further strategy on the issue,Joshi said that it would be decided in a meeting to be held tomorrow.