PM clears air on Baalu issue at his residence

NI Wire

New Delhi

Thu, 01 May 2008: 

The PMO office had not done anything unusual after receiving the petitions on behalf of Kings India Power Corporation Ltd, said the Prime Minister while trying to clear the air on the issue involving his Shipping and Transport Minister T R Baalu.

‘Nothing is left to eak.

The Petroleum Minister Murli Deora already has already explained the entire facts before the Parliament,’ said Manmohan Singh to a question asked by reporter if he is going to make a statement in the Parliament. Dr. Singh was speaking at a book release function at his residence on Wednesday evening.

The issue is however still burning, as the Prime Minister did not make statement in the Parliament despite great demand from the Opposition parties.

Earlier in the day the Petroleum Minister read a statement in the Rajya Sabha while speaking for the government amidst protest from the Opposition that PMO did not issue any order or instruction to give benefit to the companies owned by the family members of the Shipping Minister T R Baalu.

Giving a clean chit to the PMO and T R Baalu, he said no order from PMO was passed for helping Baalu son’s companies.

He however accepted that Baalu met him on the issue and briefed about the great injustice done to the workers and investors. In his extreme effort to make the issue clearer he said, “Certain references were received from the Prime Minister’s Office in a routine manner without any recommendation on the basis of a representation made by Selvakumar Baalu, director of the company.”

But not a single cubic metre of gas has been supplied to the companies owned by Baalu’s family members, Deora said.

Prior to submitting the four-page statement amid the din Murli Deora in his drastic effort to clear the air on the issue himself paved the way for arising another controversy when before making a statement in the Parliament he talked on the issue with the reporters outside the House.

Deputy leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Sushma Swaraj said that Deora had already spoken on the Baalu issue outside Parliament and a notice for ‘breach of privilege’ had been moved on this.

Soon after the Finance Bill was passed Sushma Swaraj rose to her seat demanding statement from the Prime Minister since he was present in the House. However, Manmohan Singh soon left the chair as soon as the Finance Bill passed and the Murli Deora rose to make a statement on the Baalu episode.

In his attempt to moving shoulder to shoulder with the NDA, M V Maitreyan the AIADMK leader also sought Prime Minister’s statement on the issue. “How can Deora reply? We will settle only for the PM’s statement. We will not rest till Baalu goes,” he said.

Last week V Maitreyan was the second MP in the history of Parliamentary democracy in India who was expelled for a day from the House under Rule 255.