NEW DELHI: Stung by his “skeletons in cupboard” remark, the BJP on Monday stepped up attack on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the 2G issue alleging that he was aware of the minutest of details in the matter and will have to answer Opposition charges in Parliament.
The BJP announced that it has decided to give notices for discussion on issues of price rise, Mumbai blasts and corruption in both Houses of Parliament under a rule that entails voting.
“The Prime Minister was involved in micromanagement of telecom policies. He was hands on as far as telecom policies are concerned,” Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley told reporters here.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said, “Tomorrow we want to discuss price rise in the Lok Sabha”, noting that party MP Yashwant Sinha, NDA convenor and JD(U) President Sharad Yadav and leaders of other Opposition parties would give notices for discussion.
Irked by Singh’s “Opposition also has many skeletons in its cupboard” remark, Swaraj said it was “unprovoked and ill-advised” and accused the Prime Minister of vitiating the political atmosphere ahead of the monsoon session.
“The Prime Minister is faced with several questions because of the recent disclosures on the allocation of 2G spectrum…. He is not in a position to answer any of them. Instead of answering any questions he is attacking the Opposition,” Jaitley said.
Contending that Singh was in the know of the minutest details on 2G allocation, he said the Prime Minister cannot keep an “arm’s length distance” from his own government.
Chidambaram says BJP attack linked to terror probe: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Monday said the BJP’s attack on him and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was linked to the pace of probe into some terror cases.
“Their (BJP) step-up in attack is running parallel to pace of investigations in some terror cases,” Mr Chidambaram told a news conference called to present a monthly report card of his ministry.
Mr Chidambaram said some BJP leaders had told him in private that they did not believe that he as the Finance Minister in 2007 had anything to do with the 2G scam.”All I can say is that there must have been some reason to target the PM and me. They know and some BJP leaders told me that they don’t believe what they are saying,” Mr Chidambaram said.
He said the BJP’s charges against the government raised in Parliament would be replied there.
The Opposition party has been baying for Mr Chidambaram. (Agencies)