The Hindu : National : ‘Impropriety’ of PMO not explained: BJP

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‘Impropriety’ of PMO not explained: BJP

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Reacting to Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora’s statement in the Rajya Sabha on the T.R. Baalu issue, BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad insisted that it was a matter of “conflict of interest” and the “political impropriety on the part of the Prime Minister’s Office remained unexplained.”

The allegation against Shipping Minister Baalu was that he had sought favours from the Petroleum Ministry and the PMO for a company in which his family has business interests.

The Congress said an “in-depth clarification was given” and the “controversy should now rest.” AICC general secretary Tom Vadakan pointed out, as was stated in Mr. Deora’s statement on Wednesday, that the matter was “sub judice.” It would be wrong to say anything more on the issue.

CPI national secretary D. Raja faulted the BJP for not listening to Mr. Deora and not allowing others to hear him. “Being the principal Opposition, the BJP should have been more reasonable and heard out the Minister. This would have given MPs an opportunity to question him closely.”

As for the BJP’s insistence that the Prime Minister should have responded to the issue, Mr. Raja said “the government was a collective body.”

The BJP asked: If the Prime Minister did not commit any impropriety and if the PMO routinely forwarded some letters received by his office, did he do so for other companies also?

Senior Congress Ministers privately said not a cubic inch of gas was given to the company, in which Mr. Baalu’s family has business interests. So where was the question of political impropriety? The matter was in court.

It was the NDA which should explain why an allotment had been cancelled and whether the cancellation was the result of political vendetta as alleged by Mr. Baalu, the Ministers asked.

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