Opposition BJP gets isolated on coalgate as allies, opposition want debate in parliament

While the BJP succeeded in disrupting Parliament for the second consecutive day on Wednesday on the issue of the coal block allocation, it is finding itself increasingly isolated with even its NDA allies and other opposition parties wanting a discussion on the issue.

The party has demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and fresh parliamentary elections, following a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which indicted the government for a 'loss' of Rs1.86 lakh crore in the allocation of coal blocks.

Even though the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has agreed for a full-fledged discussion in parliament, the BJP has refused to allow both houses to function.

Prime minster Singh has in fact prepared a six-point response to the CAG report, indicating that the coal blocks were allocated in a transparent manner without favouring any company.

The government also aims to pick holes in the 'inaccurate' and 'misleading' report of the CAG, besides embarrassing BJP and other non-Congress ruled state governments that were opposed to the auctioning of coal blocks.

The government's main argument is that five key states ruled by non-Congress parties including the BJP – Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand and Rajasthan – had in 2005 opposed the UPA government's move to introduce a legislation relating to auctioning of coal blocks.