The CBI Director’s admission to the Supreme Court that changes were made to the Coalgate draft report set off a political bomb, with the Congress daring a vociferous Opposition to move a ‘no-confidence’ motion.
In an affidavit filed before the apex court today, the Central Bureau of Investigation said the changes were made to report on the suggestion of Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, Attorney-General G. E. Vahanvati, and PMO and Coal Ministry officials.
The Congress, however, maintained there was no need for the Law Minister to resign as the apex court is yet to pass an order on the CBI affidavit.
On Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, too, the party decided to wait till the CBI completes its investigation into the alleged Rs 10-crore deal his nephew struck for getting a post on the Railway Board, and files the chargesheet in court.
In its nine-page affidavit, CBI chief Ranjit Sinha detailed the meetings that took place between CBI officials, the Law Minister, the Attorney General, then Additional Solicitor General Harin Raval, and officials of PMO and Coal Ministry. The submission contradicts the stand of the Law Minister and the Attorney General, who had denied suggesting changes to the draft report.
CBI affidavit
The affidavit, however, said the changes made on the suggestion of the Law Minister and Vahanvati have “neither altered the report nor shifted the focus of inquiries in any manner… no names of suspects or accused were removed from the status report and also that no suspect or accused was let off in the process.”
“Majority of these changes were done by my officers in order to refine the report either on their own or in consultation with the ASG (Raval) and his assisting advocate or by Law minister. Besides, a few changes were also done on the suggestion of AG and officials of PMO and Coal Ministry,” Sinha said.
According to the affidavit, “the tentative finding about non-existence of a system regarding allocation of specific weightage/points was deleted at the instance of the officials of PMO and Coal Ministry.
“The other tentative findings about non-preparation of broadsheet or chart by the screening committee to the best of my recollection was deleted by the Law Minister.”
Extending unconditional apology for any inadvertent omission or commission, Sinha said the CBI manual does not say whether status reports in an ongoing investigation in a sub judice matter can or cannot be shared.
He said there are no minutes of meetings that took place with the Law Minister and officials of PMO and Coal Ministry and that details of his affidavit “are based on best recollection of my memory and of my officers“.
“It is humbly submitted that there was no intention whatsoever to suppress this fact from this court,” he said. The CBI director made clear that Raval had made a statement on his own that the status report was not shared with anyone.
Cong brazens it out
Unfazed by the Opposition’s demand for action, the Government pushed a debate on the Food Security Bill in the Lok Sabha. Congress president Sonia Gandhi told a meeting of top party functionaries and senior ministers on Monday that the Centre should be able to pass key Bills such as the Food Security Bill in Parliament during the ongoing session.
She said at the meeting that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should be told either to move a no-confidence motion against the Centre or bring censure motions against the Ministers rather than endlessly disrupting proceedings. What has encouraged the Congress is the exit poll surveys from Karnataka most of which have predicted a win for the party. A senior Minister told reporters in Parliament that there is no question of the Law Minister’s resignation. “Let the court announce its verdict,” he said.
BJP conditions
The BJP, meanwhile, stepped back from the demand that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh resign over Coalgate. Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said a debate on the Food Security Bill and the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill will be possible only after the resignation of Bansal and Kumar.
Swaraj said the way the Congress pushed the Food Security Bill despite Opposition protests was an attack on democracy. She said the party was trying to divert people’s attention from all the scams. No Bill should be passed in disorder,” she said.