Coal scam probe: PM, Law Minister in the line of fire

The Supreme Court's observations on the CBI's affidavit on its coal scam report have been fodder for the opposition to step up the political heat. Law Minister Ashawni Kumar and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are in the line of fire. However, the UPA's crisis managers have said that no decision on the Law Minister's future will be taken until the Supreme Court passes a final order. Ashwani Kumar, the man in the eye of the storm, on Tuesday preferred to avoid the media, maintaining a stony silence. The Congress has deferred a decision on his fate till May 6. A series of meetings took place on Tuesday. Ashwani Kumar met Ahmed Patel, Sonia's political secretary and then the PM. The Congress seems to be weighing the options before it. It is hoping that on May 6, the CBI will say that its final report was never shown to the Law Minister, which would be a relief for the government. If the SC is soft on the government, it would again be a reprieve for it. However, if the CBI and the SC accept that the Law Minister made stark changes, then the going will get tough for Ashwani Kumar. The Congress, however, is in a bind. It's aware that if Ashwani Kumar is forced to resign, it's the PM who stands vulnerable. The BJP has already raised the pitch for the PM's resignation. The damage has been done. Congress will certainly go down in history as a party which was never shamefaced about meddling with the independence of institutions. The CBI-government issue has also made the functioning of Parliament difficult now. The BJP has decided to boycott all meetings called by Speaker and the government. The government is looking at the possibility of cutting short the session. That will mean important bills, including the land bill, are stuck. All this has created a severe credibility and accountability crisis for the government and the Prime Minister.