Coal scam: BJP to launch nationwide agitation from Sep 17

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday announced that it will launch a nationwide agitation from September 17 to demand Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's resignation on the coal allocation issue and cancellation of the blocks, besides an impartial probe by a Supreme Court-monitored Special Investigation Team.

"From September 17 to 24, we will hold the campaign across the country to demand the prime minister's resignation. Manmohan Singh is the first and the main accused in the coal scam. He should resign," BJP general secretary Ananth Kumar told reporters after a meeting of the party's Core Group headed by president Nitin Gadkari to chalk out its strategy for the agitation.

BJP leaders will lead party workers in a march to the respective Raj Bhawans in various state capitals as part of the agitation called "Raj Bhawan Chalo". They will submit a memorandum to the governor of the state on their demands.

Party workers at the district level will carry out similar marches to the district collector's office.

The main Opposition had forced a washout of virtually the whole monsoon session of Parliament on the issue.

The strategy to take on the government on corruption, including the coal scam, will be further discussed at the BJP National Executive to be held on September 26 and the two-day National Council on September 27-28 at Surajkund in Haryana.