Sonia not keen on Ashwani Kumar, Bansal continuing in Govt.

Mangalore Today/NDTV

New Delhi,May 8: The Supreme Court is today examining a nine-page affidavit that details changes that the CBI alleges were made by Law Minister Ashwani Kumar and others to a draft of its report on the coal allocation investigation.

 

The court’s observations or comments today are expected to decide the fate of the Law Minister, who has so far refused to resign in the face of much opposition fury. The government has backed him, but is now reportedly under immense pressure from the Congress party to script his exit and that of Railway Minister Pawan Bansal, whose nephew has been arrested for allegedly accepting bribe in return for organising a plum posting in the Railways.

Top Congress sources said the party president Sonia Gandhi is not keen on the two ministers continuing and it is a matter of time now before a decision is taken. Mrs Gandhi is said to be waiting to see what happens in the Supreme Court today.

On Monday, the CBI submitted an affidavit in the court stating that on March 6 this year, the Law Minister and officials in the Coal Ministry and Prime Minister’s office had made three "significant changes" in a draft of a report that it submitted two days later in court in sealed cover, implying confidentiality.

These changes, said the CBI, were made at different meetings. Ashwani Kumar, it has alleged, at a meeting in his office, deleted two portions in the report. The CBI has told the court that despite these changes, the "central theme of the status reports have not changed."

Soon after the CBI submitted its affidavit on Monday, Mr Kumar met the Prime Minster and reportedly told him that he he is confident he will emerge in the clear when the Supreme Court takes up the affidavit.

Parliament was today adjourned sine die two days before the scheduled end of the Budget session, because the Opposition refused to budge from its position that the Houses would function only after the two Congress ministers resigned.

 With that out of the way, the government, which was reportedly loath to be seen as buckling under the opposition’s pressure, is expected to now plan an "honourable exit" for Mr Kumar and Mr Bansal. That sources said might come in the form of a small cabinet reshuffle.