No change in BJP stand: Sushma

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Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj speaks at a public meeting during her campaign against the Congress

BJP leader Sushma Swaraj on Sunday clarified that the party had not changed its stand that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh should resign on the allocation of coal blocks. The BJP leader, who was in Mumbai on Sunday, refuted media reports the party had softened its stand on the issue of Dr Singh’s resignation.
“Two days ago, Congress president Sonia Gandhi had called me (to find a way for the Parliament to function) but I told her that we have two conditions. The first is that all coal allotments should be cancelled and second is that there should be an inquiry by a separate agency,” Ms Swaraj said. She added that even if the government agreed to the two conditions, the BJP, while letting the Parliament function, would still demand the resignation of the Prime Minister.
Ms Swaraj further said that they are waiting for a reply from Mrs Gandhi, “If they accept our conditions, there will be proceedings in the Parliament or else on September 7 the Monsoon Session will be over and the BJP will be agitating on the road,” said the BJP leader.
Taking a dig at Dr Manmohan Singh over his statement that he preferred to remain silent on the coal allocation controversy, Ms Swaraj said he was the first Prime Minister who was “proud of his silence.” “He is the first Prime Minister who is proud of his silence,” said the senior BJP leader.
Referring to Dr Singh’s statement, where he cited a Urdu couplet “Hazaron jawabon se achchi hai khamoshi meri..” (my silence is better than thousands of questions), Ms Swaraj came up with her own: “Aap Bole to kaam bane, Khamoshi galat-faimiya badhati hai (it is desirable that you speak, silence breeds misunderstandings).”
“This is not about keeping the honour of your silence, but keeping your (own) honour,” she went on to add.
Expressing lack of confidence in the CBI, Ms Swaraj said that the inquiry on the coal block allocations would have to be done by a Supreme Court judge. “Not a CBI inquiry, no way, because under the Congress government, a CBI inquiry cannot be independent,” she said.
The BJP leader addressed a public meeting at KC College in Mumbai.