Don't be defensive on CAG report, Sonia tells Cong MPs

A combative Sonia Gandhi on Thursday asked Congress MPs not to be defensive on the CAG report on coal blocks allocation and to aggressively counter the offensive launched by the Bharatiya Janata Party which is demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue.

Gandhi told a group of Congress MPs from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, who met her this morning after the BJP-led opposition forced adjournments in both Houses, to take the Opposition onslaught head on and not be defensive.

The MPs, who met Gandhi included Sandip Dikshit, Deepinder Hooda, Jyoti Mirdha, Anu Tandon, Ranee Narah and Sanjay Nirupam.

The issue had also figured in the UPA coordination committee meeting during which some allies of the ruling alliance had said that Congress should be upfront and demolish Opposition's charges as the allegations put the entire UPA in the negative light.

There is a view in the government that BJP is resorting to these tactics in a calibrated manner to take political mileage and hence the impasse in Parliament cannot be resolved through "one-sided efforts".

Government managers are, however, keeping the options open and talking to leaders of various political parties. Home Minster Sushil Kumar Shinde met Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj.

"We talk to all political leaders," another Union minister speaking separately remarked when asked whether the government will try to rope in the Left and other non-BJP parties to end the deadlock.