New Delhi: Opposition parties on Wednesday slammed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his remark that "some compromises" had to be made in running a coalition and called as unfair and unacceptable his equating any 2G Spectrum loss with subsidy for fertilisers, diesel and foodgrains.
Reacting to the Prime Minister's remarks at an interaction with TV editors, the principal opposition party BJP accused Singh of trying to "cover up" the various scams which has bedeviled his government and said "coalition dharma" cannot mean supporting corruption.
"The Prime Minister's press conference was very disappointing and shows his helplessness. Coalition dharma cannot mean support to corruption. And coalition is related only to 2G.
What is the relation between coalition and the case of ISRO (S-band allocation), Commonwealth Games and Adarsh cases?" BJP President Nitin Gadkari asked.
With Singh coming under attack for his remarks on coalition politics, Official sources said the prime minister had the issue of political management in mind when he said he had to make "some compromises" to run a coalition.
Accusing the Prime Minister of trying to shield the corrupt, Gadkari also said the comparison of the 2G Spectrum prices with subsidy for fertilisers, gas and oil, foodgrain is unfair and maintained that 2G spectrum allocation was not subsidy but a way of making money.
DMK, a key UPA constituent, said Singh's comments on coalition politics against the backdrop of the 2G scam involving its leader and former Telecom Minister A Raja would not affect its ties with Congress.
"I don't think so. He has not said anything wrong about coalition," DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan told reporters in Chennai when asked if Singh's comments on coalition would affect the party's ties with Congress.
Elangovan said the Prime Minister had not accused the coalition.
Flaying Singh for his comments on managing coalition politics, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said it is better to go to people's court than running such a coalition like UPA.
"It will be always better to go to people's court instead of running such a coalition which encourages corruption and tries to break the country into pieces... and then the people will return the person to power with massive mandate," Kumar, a senior JD(U) leader and key BJP ally, said.
Left parties attacked the government for "loot" of public money through the 2G spectrum allocation and other scams and took the Prime Minister to task for equating any 2G spectrum loss with subsidising foodgrains to the poor.
"On two vital issues confronting the nation and the people, that is corruption and price rise, the Prime Minister has virtually thrown up his hand saying nothing much can be done. This is very unfortunate," CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters.
"This is something that is completely unacceptable," he said.
"Subsidising the poor is one aspect but subsidising the rich and saying that it is necessary, is just naked loot of the country," Yechury said.
Yechury said Singh "virtually tried to justify" the spectrum scam by "comparing" it with the subsidies being given on foodgrains, fertiliser and kerosene oil.
"In other words, he (Singh) has actually admitted to the fact that his government has been subsidising the corporate sector by giving away national assets like the spectrum in throwaway prices," the CPI(M) leader said.
"The fact remains that the government did not collect what was due (in 2G spectrum allocation), which was also a loss," he added.
CPI National Secretary D Raja said Singh had sought to "explain" the 2G scam by asking if subsidies on foodgrains could be called a loss.
"He should explain how corporate houses made such huge profits. It was virtually a loot," he added.
Raja expressed surprise over the Prime Minister blaming then Telecom Minister A Raja and conceding "some compromises" to run a coalition for the 2G scam when he was part of his cabinet.
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