Congress top brass meets as coal scam resurfaces

The meeting of the Congress Core Group came as NCP chief Sharad Pawar, a constituent of UPA, spoke of the possibility of early Lok Sabha elections in the wake of parting of ways by the DMK.

This is the first Core Group meeting in a fortnight as Gandhi was out of the country for a medical check-up. She arrived here yesterday. Earlier in the morning, she met a Sikh delegation on the occasion of Baisakhi.

The coal scam resurfaced today following reports of the alleged government interference in CBI investigations and the BJP demanding an SIT probe into it.

Reports had it that the Law Minister Ashwani Kumar summoned CBI Chief and the report was changed and toned down after the meeting.

The party has firmly rejected the charge and also ruled out the resignation of the Law Minister.

"There is no question of resignation of Law Minister Ashwani Kumar. Supreme Court has already asked CBI to file an affidaviat in this regard. CBI will file its affidavit and truth will come out," party spokesperson Rashid Alvi said.

Dismissing suggestions that CBI is being used as a political tool, Alvi said, "CBI is an independent agency."

Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley targeted the UPA by accusing it of being a "rogue government" that will not allow CBI to function independently and demanded constitution of a Special Investigation Team.

He also charged the government with "interference in the administration of justice" by not allowing CBI to acquaint the apex court with the full truth in the case.

Sushma Swaraj criticised the government for "vetting" of the CBI report and said it is part of "an attempt to save Prime Minister Manmohan Singh".