Congress rejects BJP's demand for PM's resignation

Dismissing BJP's demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the Coal scam, Congress today reminded the opposition party of its electoral defeat in Karnataka amid corruption charges against ministers of the previous state government.

Dismissing BJP's demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the Coal scam, Congress on Saturday reminded the opposition party of its electoral defeat in Karnataka amid corruption charges against ministers of the previous state government.

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"There is no question of resignation. What will happen for them with the resignation of the PM? What will they (BJP) gain from the resignation? After all, they are not going to come to power and have their Prime Minister in the next Lok Sabha elections.

"Except negativism, is there anything left in BJP? It is regrettable that BJP never speaks on policies," Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury said.

Addressing the party's national executive meeting in Panaji, BJP President Rajnath Singh earlier in the day said "when the Prime Minister himself is under suspicion, why was the CBI report in the Coalgate probe changed in former law Minister Ashwani Kumar's room?"

"After seeing the changes, the Supreme Court observed that the soul of the report has been changed. If after this observation, the Prime Minister still remains in his office, then it would be keeping aside morality. We demand that he (Singh) should immediately resign," he added.

Earlier, the BJP President had demanded that since the Prime Minister held the coal portfolio when the controversial coal block allocations had been made, he should introspect on who should be held accountable.