Title - Support for bills only after Ashwani, Bansal quit: BJP

NEW DELHI: Opposition BJP on Monday said the CBI's fresh affidavit to the Supreme Court showed the government had made significant changes in the agency's status report on the Coalgate scam and insisted it would support bills on food security and land acquisition only after the railway and law ministers had quit.

The main opposition said the alterations made at the "behest of law minister Ashwani Kumar" were "damaging" and aimed at protecting the government on the coal mines allocation issue.

Referring to Para 19 of the CBI affidavit, leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said the portion where the probe agency had stated that it was not clear on what basis weightage was given to those who got mining contracts had been removed at the instance of the minister.

Similarly, the broadsheets which were part of the CBI report on coal block allotments were also been omitted, he said. Another significant change was removal of the section where the agency wanted to know why the criteria of auction suggested by CAG in 2004 was not followed even till 2010. he added.

"These are extremely major changes... The investigation was directed at the coal minister and the prime minister. In a way, the report was shown to possible suspects," Jaitley said.

On railway minister Pawan Bansal's nephew's alleged involvement in the bribery case for a plum posting, Jaitley said there was a "rhythm" in the way the files moved and the money was paid. "The person who was given the bribe is an alter ego of the railway minister in politics and business," he said and asked "why should strangers be paid bribes?"

Leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj expressed dismay at the government's attempt to get the food security bill passed in the House amid the din. She said BJP wanted this legislation and the land acquisition bill to be passed but this was possible only after Bansal and Kumar quit.

"This government is not only corrupt but is also an oppressive one. Outside Parliament, it indulges in corruption and inside Parliament, it acts as an oppressor. It tried to get the food security bill passed in Lok Sabha today thinking this will divert the country's attention from their corruption. This is condemnable," Swaraj told reporters.

BJP boycotted the Business Advisory Committee meeting of Lok Sabha on Monday.