By IANS,
New Delhi : Targeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the opening of parliament’s monsoon session, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Monday accused him of “micro management” of the controversial 2G spectrum allocation and spoiling ties with the opposition.
BJP leaders in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, led the charge against Manmohan Singh, indicating troubled times during the parliament session that ends Sep 8.
Home Minister P. Chidambaram rebutted the charge.
He said the BJP had stepped up attacks on the government because of the pace of investigation in some terror cases in which rightwing Hindu groups are said to be involved.
Addressing the media, Sushma Swaraj dismissed as “totally unprovoked” Manmohan Singh’s remarks Sunday that the opposition had too many skeletons in its cupboard.
“We were of the opinion that for the first time in recent years the government had started on a positive note. But regrettably, an ill-advised comment by the prime minister has vitiated the environment,” she said.
Signalling the tough stand it would take inside the house, the BJP said it wanted discussions on price rise and corruption under Rule 184 that entail voting.
If the government loses in the voting, it would amount to losing face.
Jaitley, who also spoke to the media along with Sushma Swaraj, said the possible rationale for the prime minister’s attack could be the questions he is being asked about his own role in the spectrum allocation.
“The prime minister has changed his stand several times on the 2G scandal. From initial support to his (now jailed) minister A. Raja, he then pleaded ignorance about telecom matters and told parliament that he had trusted the judgement of his ministers,” Jaitley said.
He quoted Raja as saying that he (former minister) had kept the prime minister informed about various aspects of the 2G spectrum allocation and had written nine letters to Manmohan Singh.
Accusing the prime minister of adopting “inconsistent positions”, Jaitley posed him seven questions.
“Did it not strike the prime minister that after insisting on auction as the only fair methodology, his finance minister suddenly changed his stance…
“If the prime minister received nine letters from Raja giving all minute details, did it not strike him that spectrum was being sold for a song…”
BJP leader Prakash Javadekar said separately that the party wanted an urgent discussion in parliament on the role of Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P. Chidambaram on the 2G spectrum scam, saying they were “an equal party” in the scam.
Chidambaram said the government will respond to the allegations if they are raised in parliament.