I am an open book, says PM Manmohan Singh

"I am an openbook," asserted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, as he said he had no desire to hide anything from Parliament and that he has not prevented anybody from looking at his conduct.

"I am an openbook," asserted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, as he said he had no desire to hide anything from Parliament and that he has not prevented anybody from looking at his conduct.

Singh's assertion came during a media interaction on board his special Air India plane on his return home after attending the G20 summit in the Russian city of St Petersburg.

The prime minister was asked whether he believes that he himself has sufficiently answered many questions by BJP about his government, about him in person and his charge at the opposition party of obstructing Parliament and hurting the economy.

"I try to answer all questions that have been raised. I have no desire to hide anything from Parliament, whether it is the coal matter, or other matters. I have been as forthright as I can."

Noting that he had made a long statement on the coal matters in the previous session of Parliament, Singh said he was not allowed to read that statement but he did issue it and it is a public document.

"So I am an open book."

To a related query on why he has not gone ahead and said he is ready for questioning in the coal scam as he did on the 2G spectrum controversy, the prime minister in a forthright reply asserted, "I have not prevented anybody from looking at my conduct."

Replying to a question he said there is no proposal under consideration to create a separate Vidarbha out of Maharashtra on the lines of Telangana statehood.