Will give up public life if charges are proved: PM
New Delhi. Reacting to allegations levelled by Team Anna against him, Prime Minsiter Manmohan Singh today said he’d give up public life if charges are proved. Prime Minsiter Manmohan Singh said that it is unfortunate that allegations are being made without confirming facts. Team Anna member
Shanti Bhushan on Tuesday said allegations levelled by them against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were not irresponsible as the PM was party to wrongdoings like the 2G scam and was in charge of the coal ministry when another scam occurred.
“I don’t think that allegations against the prime minister were irresponsible. He held the portfolio of coal when the major scam happened,” Bhushan told Times Now channel.
“Even (former telecom minister and 2G scam prime accused) A. Raja was protected by the prime minister and it was after the Supreme Court’s ruling that the minister was sent to jail,” he alleged.
Team Anna had Saturday charged the Prime Minister and 14 cabinet ministers of “massive” corruption and sought an independent probe into the charges.
Team Anna questioned the role of Manmohan Singh in the coal scam which recently came to light. The prime minister was in charge of the coal portfolio from November 2006 to May 2009.
According to a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), mining rights for coal blocks had been allocated without auctioning them and this led to massive profits for some chosen private firms.
“Under his (Manmohan Singh’s) watch, a major coal allocation scam took place, which allowed private firms to make windfall gains, as is clear from the facts that are now out in the public domain and the report of the CAG,” said the documents released by Team Anna Saturday.
However, rift seemed obvious in Team Anna on Tuesday after Justice Santosh Hegde distanced himself from corruption allegations against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other ministers.
“…I do not have the material that they had sent to the Prime Minister seeking investigations. I said I do not have to do anything with those allegations,” he said.
