Congress to face opposition heat over CAG report

The Congress is likely to face opposition heat in Parliament next week with the Comptroller and Auditor General pointing fingers at Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Prime Minister's office in its report on the irregularities in the Common Wealth Games, with the demands for Dikshit's resignation getting shriller. On Friday the leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stated that the content of the CAG report was a serious issue and in the coming days they will raise the same in the Parliament. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi stated about the seriousness of the issue and the need to raise it in the parliament and said that they are in the process of studying the same. He said that the United Progressive Alliance government was day by day losing its moral authority. He also added that there is a lack of confidence within the Government as it had lost the confidence of the people. Therefore, the government is at cross-roads. After the CAG report was tabled in the parliament on Friday, the BJP's spokesperson Prakash Javadekar sought Dikshit's resignation. According to Javadekar it is now the moral duty of Dikshit to resign and if not, then the Congress high command must ask her to step down immediately and they can elect their new Chief Minister. In the defence of Dikshit, the congress leaders came stating that there was no need for her to resign. According to Law Minister Salman Khurshid, the objections raised by CAG report would not lead automatically to kind of things that should require the people to step down.

It was clearly stated by Dikshit that, the government would completely cooperate when the report comes before the Parliament's Public Account Committee (PAC). The CAG report has come at a time when the Congress led Government which has been buffeted by a series of scams were gearing up to push its pending legislative agenda.

The intentions about gunning for Prime Minster Manmohan Singh were made clear by the BJP. The leaders said that, with the CAG report laying blame on the PMO for the appointment of Kalmadi as OC Chief will provide fresh ammunition to attack the Prime Minister. The Congress had told lies by putting the onus of Kalmadi's appointment as OC chief on BJP led NDA Government, according to Naqvi.

It was reported by the congress sources that, though her stock in the party is likely to be affected, the CAG indictment will not pose any immediate threat to Dikshit. They also added that Dikshit's rivals in the party could begin to clamour for her replacement if more controversies surround her government on the future.    

News report by SM