BJP demands PM's reply on CAG coal report

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday slammed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the alleged irregularities pointed out by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report in the coal blocks allocations between 2006 and 2009.

"The CAG has pointed out a loss of Rs 1.86 lakh crore to the exchequer. The BJP has been raising the issue for quite some time now," BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy said.

"This is not just a scam, it's a case of murder and loot. We would like an answer from the prime minister on charges made by the CAG," Rudy said minutes after the report was tabled in the Rajya Sabha.

BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and BJP member Sushma Swaraj, meanwhile, said that the coal scam was the UPA's biggest yet. "The UPA is full of corruption. The PM is directly responsible for the scam. He cannot hide behind any argument now. No A Raja or Chidambaram can be used as shiled like in the 2G spectrum scam case," she said.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said that the PM "must introspect" and quit the office.

"In the 2G scam, the PM was vicariously liable. In this case, he is poltically, morally and directly liable. He must introspect and impose the moral censure of quitting the office."

(With additional information from IANS)

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