New Delhi, April 30 (ANI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said that he would study the observations made by the Supreme Court of India with respect to government not allowing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to function independently in cases that it was probing, and only then, would he take whatever action is necessary.
"Whatever action is called for, will be taken after I study the Supreme Court observations," Dr. Singh said.
His statement came hours after the Supreme Court had pulled up the the CBI's counsel for allowing the government to vet a crucial document on its (CBI's) coal investigation.
The apex court's observations forced the Prime Minister to meet Union Law and Justice Minister Ashwani Kumar and Congress President Sonia Gandhi's Political Secretary Ahmed Patel on the issue. It was also decided to hold a meeting of the Congress Core Group to decide on the next steps in the matter.
Sources said the Law Minister did not offer to resign at the short meeting.
The Supreme Court was scathing today of both the CBI, for submitting to its "political master," and of the government for trying to control what is meant to be India's premier and independent investigating agency.
The court has asked the CBI to explain why its report, given to the court in a sealed cover, implying confidentiality, had been vetted by the Law Minister and an official each in the Prime Minister's Office and the Coal Ministry.
The CBI has admitted that the Law Minister had sought a copy of the report, and then, at a meeting at his office on March 5, asked for changes to the document.
The opposition has said that the Law Minister and Prime Minister must both resign for trying to interfere with the CBI's enquiry into how the government assigned coal fields to private players without a transparent bidding process.
The CBI today gave the Supreme Court copies of the report that the Law Minister screened, and the actual report that the agency supplied. A comparison will establish the extent of the government's influence, if any. (ANI with inputs)
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