Hyderabad, June 10 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain on Sunday said it is Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's responsibility to lead a corruption free government in the country.
Hussain made this statement in the context of a comment made by social activist Kiran Bedi, where she dubbed Manmohan Singh as a modern-day Dhritarashtra, a man unquestionably honest himself, but ethically tone-deaf and stone-blind to others.
"But there have been mistakes from the Prime Minister's side as well. It would be giving him a bailout by calling him Dhritarashtra. The mistakes took place when he was the coal minister. So, these are Kiran Bedi's own perceptions. We believe that it is the Prime Minister's responsibility that there should be a corruption free government in the country. And the Prime Minister has failed in providing that," Hussain told media here.
Hussain also said that the Prime Minister must initiate a probe into the coal scam if he has to prove the clean image of his government.
"Manmohan Singhji, if you are clean, then the BJP asks that why is the government afraid of a probe in coal gate? If there is nothing wrong and nothing was wrong with the coals, then a probe is necessary. The people of the country want to know as to who have received the price for the coals? And this is why the BJP will not compromise on the issue of corruption," said Hussain.
The Prime Minister Office (PMO) had earlier refused to accept Team Anna's demand for an independent probe against Prime Minister in connection with an alleged coal allocation scam, saying the manner in which loose allegations have been levelled was not acceptable.
Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office V Narayanasamy wrote a letter to Anna Hazare on Friday that allegations against the prime minister were based on a leaked draft of the CAG report and reports in the media.
The letter, which was released on Saturday, was in response to Team Anna's letter of May 26 in which it charged Manmohan Singh and 14 cabinet ministers of "massive corruption" and asked for independent probe. Manmohan Singh was in charge of the coal portfolio from November 2006 to May 2009.
Regarding the current controversy surrounding the resignation of BJP leader Sanjay Joshi, Hussain said everything was fine within the party and they were looking forward to toppling the government in general election.
"Everything is fine within the Bharatiya Janata Party. We are in preparation for 2014. Instead of 2014, the polls may take place in the end of 2012 or in the month of March in 2013. Just the way Arjun's concentration was on the bird's eye, our concentration is on removing the UPA government," he said. (ANI)
