Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is facing sharp criticism from the opposition over the CAG report on coal block allocations, on Monday made an earnest appeal to the Bharatiya Janata Party to debate the issue in Parliament and not disrupt proceedings.
A confident prime minister said that it has been his general practice not to respond to motivated criticism directed personally at him.
"It has been my general practice not to respond to motivated criticism directed personally t me. My general attitude has been Hazaaron Jawabon Se Acchi Hai Meri Khamoshi, Na Jaane Kitne Sawaalon Ki Aabru Rakhe."
"But this is one occasion where I do want and I ardently wish that I should be given the opportunity to speak to the Parliament and also the public at large, take them into confidence," said Dr Singh.
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'Let the country judge where the truth lies'
"And, I am sorry that the house is not allowed to function, and the BJP is determined to disrupt the normal functioning of Parliament. I wish to assure the country that we have a very strong and credible case, the observations of the CAG are disputable, and they will be challenged when the matter comes before Parliamentary Accounts Committee. So, once again I appeal to the opposition to come back to the house to debate all these issues and let the country judge where the truth lies," he added.
Dr Singh, who is under attack over the allocation during 2005-2009 when he held the coal portfolio, has been waiting to make a statement since last week but could not do so because of disruption caused by opposition, mainly by the BJP.
The BJP has been demanding that the Prime Minister should first tender his resignation over the issue.
The BJP has held the Prime Minister, who then held direct charge of the coal ministry, responsible for what has been estimated as a notional loss of Rs 1.86 lakh crore by the CAG in coal block allocations, and demanded his resignation.
The CAG report on coal block allocations states that nearly 150 coalfields were allotted to private and state-run firms without transparency and objectivity between 2005 and 2009.
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