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| Legislators Jeer India Premier on Coal Deals | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| NEW DELHI — India’s Parliament became a noisy stage of political theater on Monday, as opposition lawmakers shouted down Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s attempt to rebut claims that his government had awarded sweetheart coal deals to power companies, the latest scandal to hit his administration. | NEW DELHI — India’s Parliament became a noisy stage of political theater on Monday, as opposition lawmakers shouted down Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s attempt to rebut claims that his government had awarded sweetheart coal deals to power companies, the latest scandal to hit his administration. |
| Broadcast live on national television, the gamesmanship in Parliament played out in two acts. Mr. Singh first appeared before the Lok Sabha, or lower house, and tried to read his response to accusations that his government had cost the treasury an estimated $34 billion in allocating untapped coal blocks. But lawmakers with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, already on their feet, hollered and shouted slogans, drowning out the prime minister. | Broadcast live on national television, the gamesmanship in Parliament played out in two acts. Mr. Singh first appeared before the Lok Sabha, or lower house, and tried to read his response to accusations that his government had cost the treasury an estimated $34 billion in allocating untapped coal blocks. But lawmakers with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, already on their feet, hollered and shouted slogans, drowning out the prime minister. |
| “Resign! Resign!” some Bharatiya Janata lawmakers screamed, as Mr. Singh, almost inaudibly, moved for the house to accept his written statement. | |
| “Manmohan Singh, leave the chair!” went another chant. | “Manmohan Singh, leave the chair!” went another chant. |
| Less than half an hour later, the scene was repeated in the Rajya Sabha, or upper house, with the prime minister again rendered mute by the shouting Bharatiya Janata contingent. In each house, lawmakers with Mr. Singh’s party, the governing Indian National Congress Party, ignored the din and allowed the statements to be accepted formally into the record — on a voice vote that no one could hear. | Less than half an hour later, the scene was repeated in the Rajya Sabha, or upper house, with the prime minister again rendered mute by the shouting Bharatiya Janata contingent. In each house, lawmakers with Mr. Singh’s party, the governing Indian National Congress Party, ignored the din and allowed the statements to be accepted formally into the record — on a voice vote that no one could hear. |
| India’s economy has slowed markedly over the past year, amid widespread criticism of the political process. Even as the government has been faulted for policy paralysis and corruption, the opposition parties have been accused of obstructionism. Many commentators and some elected leaders have called on the parties to dispense with political theater and take action on economic reforms and other major issues. | India’s economy has slowed markedly over the past year, amid widespread criticism of the political process. Even as the government has been faulted for policy paralysis and corruption, the opposition parties have been accused of obstructionism. Many commentators and some elected leaders have called on the parties to dispense with political theater and take action on economic reforms and other major issues. |
| Over the weekend, about 1,000 protesters affiliated with the anticorruption crusader Anna Hazare marched through New Delhi over the coal scandal. The protests were aimed at both the government and the Bharatiya Janata Party, and the police arrested scores of people as they tried to picket outside the houses of the prime minister and of Sonia Gandhi, president of the Congress Party. | Over the weekend, about 1,000 protesters affiliated with the anticorruption crusader Anna Hazare marched through New Delhi over the coal scandal. The protests were aimed at both the government and the Bharatiya Janata Party, and the police arrested scores of people as they tried to picket outside the houses of the prime minister and of Sonia Gandhi, president of the Congress Party. |
| But the confrontation on Monday suggested that the current “monsoon” session of Parliament was likely to be little different from several other sessions during the past three years, in which political tactics trumped substance. This session, which ends on Sept. 7, has an ambitious docket, with important bills pending on food security, corruption and land acquisition. So far, though, not a single one has been passed in the lower house. Last week, Bharatiya Janata lawmakers forced repeated adjournments, shouting and protesting over the coal scandal. | But the confrontation on Monday suggested that the current “monsoon” session of Parliament was likely to be little different from several other sessions during the past three years, in which political tactics trumped substance. This session, which ends on Sept. 7, has an ambitious docket, with important bills pending on food security, corruption and land acquisition. So far, though, not a single one has been passed in the lower house. Last week, Bharatiya Janata lawmakers forced repeated adjournments, shouting and protesting over the coal scandal. |
| Swapan Dasgupta, a right-wing political analyst in New Delhi, said opposition leaders were betting that battering Mr. Singh and his government over corruption was a winning strategy to prepare for the 2014 national elections, even if doing so risked alienating voters who want to see Parliament function. He said opposition parties used a similar strategy in 1989 against Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, whose Congress Party lost badly in the next election. | Swapan Dasgupta, a right-wing political analyst in New Delhi, said opposition leaders were betting that battering Mr. Singh and his government over corruption was a winning strategy to prepare for the 2014 national elections, even if doing so risked alienating voters who want to see Parliament function. He said opposition parties used a similar strategy in 1989 against Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, whose Congress Party lost badly in the next election. |
| “That’s why they are so gung-ho about it, because of the past precedent,” Mr. Dasgupta said. He added, “They want to keep the focus singularly on this issue, at least for some time, before they go in for a debate.” | “That’s why they are so gung-ho about it, because of the past precedent,” Mr. Dasgupta said. He added, “They want to keep the focus singularly on this issue, at least for some time, before they go in for a debate.” |
| Mr. Singh is known for his personal integrity, even as his government has been besieged with scandals and charges of mismanagement. But accusations over coal deals have especially galvanized opponents because Mr. Singh holds direct responsibility over the Coal Ministry. | |
| India has large deposits of coal, but much of the resource remains untapped, often because of environmental concerns or land disputes. Beginning in 2004, the government, seeking to increase power production quickly, awarded coal blocks to some of the country’s biggest private power companies. | India has large deposits of coal, but much of the resource remains untapped, often because of environmental concerns or land disputes. Beginning in 2004, the government, seeking to increase power production quickly, awarded coal blocks to some of the country’s biggest private power companies. |
| This month, India’s comptroller and auditor general released an audit estimating that government policies on the sale of coal concessions had cost the country nearly $34 billion in royalties. The report found that rather than putting each untapped coal block up for public auction, the government had sold the blocks to private and public power companies on favorable terms, a process that the report criticized as lacking transparency and effectively offering significant discounts for private companies. | This month, India’s comptroller and auditor general released an audit estimating that government policies on the sale of coal concessions had cost the country nearly $34 billion in royalties. The report found that rather than putting each untapped coal block up for public auction, the government had sold the blocks to private and public power companies on favorable terms, a process that the report criticized as lacking transparency and effectively offering significant discounts for private companies. |
| Several Congress Party leaders dismissed the findings as misguided and the projected losses as hypothetical, because most of the coal remains in the ground. Moreover, Congress Party leaders have tried to turn the pressure on the Bharatiya Janata Party, calling for an open debate in Parliament, even as the opposition has persisted in shutting things down. | Several Congress Party leaders dismissed the findings as misguided and the projected losses as hypothetical, because most of the coal remains in the ground. Moreover, Congress Party leaders have tried to turn the pressure on the Bharatiya Janata Party, calling for an open debate in Parliament, even as the opposition has persisted in shutting things down. |
| “Once again, I appeal to the opposition to come back to the house, to debate our positions and let the country judge where the truth lies,” Mr. Singh told television crews outside Parliament, minutes after his appearance in the lower house. | “Once again, I appeal to the opposition to come back to the house, to debate our positions and let the country judge where the truth lies,” Mr. Singh told television crews outside Parliament, minutes after his appearance in the lower house. |
| By Monday afternoon, Mr. Singh’s written statement to Parliament was made public on government Web sites. In it, he said he assumed “full responsibility” for the actions of the Coal Ministry and declared that “any allegations of impropriety are without basis and unsupported by the facts.” | By Monday afternoon, Mr. Singh’s written statement to Parliament was made public on government Web sites. In it, he said he assumed “full responsibility” for the actions of the Coal Ministry and declared that “any allegations of impropriety are without basis and unsupported by the facts.” |
| Mr. Singh said that his government had first suggested the idea of competitive bidding for coal blocks in 2004 but that state governments, including states led by opposition parties, opposed such a move. Parliament did not pass the necessary legislative amendments to shift to competitive bidding until 2010, he said. | Mr. Singh said that his government had first suggested the idea of competitive bidding for coal blocks in 2004 but that state governments, including states led by opposition parties, opposed such a move. Parliament did not pass the necessary legislative amendments to shift to competitive bidding until 2010, he said. |
| Opposition leaders, though, have blamed the government for the slow change to competitive bidding, saying that an objection from the prime minister’s office spurred the delay. | Opposition leaders, though, have blamed the government for the slow change to competitive bidding, saying that an objection from the prime minister’s office spurred the delay. |
| “The whole process of allocation of coal blocks stinks,” Arun Jaitley, the leader of the opposition in the upper house, said in a statement on Sunday. | “The whole process of allocation of coal blocks stinks,” Arun Jaitley, the leader of the opposition in the upper house, said in a statement on Sunday. |
Hari Kumar contributed | Hari Kumar contributed reporting. |