Coalgate: BJP, Congress level charges, counter-charges over PM's culpability

New Delhi: A slugfest erupted on Thursday between Opposition parties and the government over the coal scam, with BJP holding Prime Minister Manmohan Singh responsible saying he is the final signatory while Union Ministers defending him in unison.BJP said Singh is "culpable" if one goes by the rules applied in the Commonwealth Games and 2G spectrum scams, where the final signatory was held responsible for the financial irregularities.Alleging that trail of the coal scam goes all the way to the Prime Minister since he was the final signatory for all the allocations, BJP also sought to know how Coal Secretary P C Parakh is being held responsible but not the minister who held the portfolio."The trail of the coal allocation scam goes all the way to 7, Race Course Road (PM's residence). If in the Commonwealth Games scam the person who put the final signature was held accountable and jailed, then what is the reason that the Prime Minister, who held the coal portfolio, is not responsible," BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said.BJP maintained that A Raja and Suresh Kalmadi were held accountable in the 2G spectrum and CWG scams respectively as they were the final signatories. By the same logic, Singh should is responsible as he held the coal portfolio and all allocations were made with is written consent.CPI leader D Raja said all are equal before law, and law should be applied equally to every citizen of this country.However, Union ministers defended the Prime Minister in unison."The entire nation knows about the commitment and honesty of the Prime Minister. He does not need any certificate from any quarter to prove his honesty," Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal told reporters.Minister of State in PMO V Narayansamy insisted that the government has nothing to hide and the coal blocks were allocated on the recommendations of the state governments."As far as the government is concerned, we have made it very clear that the allocation of coal blocks have been made to public sector undertakings and also to some of the private sector on the recommendation of the state governments," he told reporters here.