NEW DELHI: India's opposition vowed yesterday to block Parliamentary proceedings until the prime minister resigned over a coal scandal, raising the prospect of more legislative deadlock and stalled reforms.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was implicated by the national auditor in a report published last Friday which suggested the government had lost out on billions of dollars of revenue by gifting away coal mining rights.
Singh, who has seen his reputation as “Mr Clean” damaged by a string of scandals in his second term in government, served as acting coal minister from 2004-2009.
Senior opposition leader Arun Jaitley said his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would obstruct Parliamentary proceedings until the 79-year-old Singh took personal responsibility and stepped down.
“Parliamentary obstructionism is normally to be avoided, but in rare cases parties do adopt it,” Jaitley told a television channel in an interview as both houses of Parliament were adjourned for the second day in row.
“The way forward is that the prime minister must accept his culpability. The reason is very obvious. For five out of the eight years he himself was the coal minister,” Jaitley added.
The disruption in Parliament comes as India's economy is badly faltering, with investors and business leaders looking for decisive action from the under-fire government to restore confidence and spur expansion.
Quarterly economic growth slumped to its lowest level in nine years in the first three months of the year and more bad GDP data are expected at the end of this month.
In 2010, the BJP and opposition allies blocked an entire session of Parliament, forcing adjournments for 22 business days in a row which meant no legislation was passed.
