Bansal fate hangs fire
Opposition seeks rail minister resignation; Congress undecided
Railway minister P.K. Bansal’s continuance in the Union Cabinet remains uncertain as the Opposition mounted pressure on the government for his dismissal in the light of the CBI arresting his nephew for allegedly taking bribes to facilitate top-level promotions in the Railway Board.
The Congress rejected the Opposition’s demand, but later under increasing pressure, the party core group headed by Sonia Gandhi inconclusively met at the residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who called and talked to the minister earlier in the day.
Sources said Mr Bansal did not offer to resign and in the core group meeting he explained his position claiming that he had no business links with his nephew Vijay Singla nor did he get influenced by him in decision-making.
The BJP asserted that the latest revelation only adds weight to its demand for Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s resignation. Ravi Shankar Prasad of the BJP said, “This government is no more a government of middlemen. It is a government of dealers, brokers and middlemen, where every government decision is up for sale and you must be prepared to offer the price. Congress has reduced the government to a bazaar where every decision is tradeable.”
Describing the arrest as a “copy book case” for the prosecution of the minister, Mr Prasad said, “In addition to demanding his sacking, BJP would like the CBI to prosecute him.”
The Left parties and the SP also demanded Mr Bansal’s resignation. “The PM and Sonia Gandhi need to realise that it is the Railway minister’s nephew who has been arrested with `90 lakh,” SP leader Ram Asrey Kushwaha.
Defending the beleaguered minister Congress rejected the opposition demand. Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said, “For those who are demanding resignation, it has become a disease.”