NEW DELHI, APRIL 30:Piqued with Petroleum Minister Murli Deora for having talked to the press explaining the Government’s position on the controversy related to his Cabinet colleague T R Baalu on Monday, the opposition NDA on Wednesday prevented him from making a statement in the Rajya Sabha on the issue.

“What is he going to say here? We have already read his statement in the newspapers,” NDA leader Sushma Swaraj said as she led her colleagues in demanding that no one else but the Prime Minister should make a statement on the issue. JD(U) leader Digvijay Singh has already moved a privilege notice against Deora for having gone to the press before making his statement in Parliament.

In his statement, which had to be laid in the table of the House, Deora admitted that Baalu had met him and talked about the “great injustice done to the workers and investors” of the two companies in question — Kings India Chemicals Corporation and Kings India Power Corporation. He, however, said no instructions had been received from the PMO to help the two companies.

“Certain references were received from the PMO in a routine manner without any recommendation on the basis of a representation made by Selvakumar Baalu, director of the company (Kings India Power Corporation),” Deora said in his statement.

The Congress party has also sought to distance the Prime Minister from the controversy saying the letters from the PMO to the Petroleum Ministry had been sent in a routine manner without any recommendations.

However, the Opposition remains unconvinced and vowed to raise the issue again when the Parliament resumes on Monday after an extended four-day weekend. “This Government lacks credibility and probity. We will continue to raise this issue,” Sushma Swaraj said.

The NDA and AIADMK members had all walked into the well of the House as soon as Deora stood up to read his statement, shouting “We want PM”. They were incensed with the fact that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was present in the House for the discussion on Finance Bill and started leaving just as Deora stood up to make the statement.

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