Come what may, Cong to stand by Ashwani

New Delhi: Unfazed by the Opposition threat not to let the House function unless Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar is ousted from the government on the issue of meddling with the CBI status report on 2G Spectrum scam, the Congress High Command is in no mood to oblige them. Both the Houses of Parliament continued to be paralyzed on Monday, with a determined Opposition demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, forcing adjournment for the day. According to the Congress leadership, Ashwani Kumar did no wrong in meeting the CBI officials. As per the Constitution, the Law Ministry is entitled to render advice to various Ministries on legal matters and attend to litigation work of the Central Government in the Supreme Court, High Courts, Tribunals and the subordinate courts. Irrespective of the harsh outcome of the hearing of Supreme Court on CBI affidavit on Tuesday against the government, the Congress leadership has made up its mind to defend Ashwani Kumar. "The Court has no powers to remove any Minister," stated a senior Union Minister in the UPA government. He said that the Court could only give its observations, but it was for the executive to implement it. On the issue of coalgate, the Law Minister was only performing his duty in apprising CBI officials of the stand taken by the government and the respective Ministries. Since there was no tampering with the status report on the 2G scam, there can be no case made out against Ashwani Kumar. The BJP-led Opposition, on the other hand, is determined not to allow the House to function, unless the Union Law Minister is ousted from the government. Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj stated, "If not the Prime Minister, at least the Law Minister should resign." She went on to add that the JPC Draft Report should be rejected in toto. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has already defended Ashwani Kumar, ruling out his resignation and that of his own, on the 2G scam. Anita Saluja