Jaiswal challenges BJP to prove coal block allegations

Lucknow, Sep 11 (PTI) Challenging BJP leaders to prove
their allegations against him in the coal block allocation
issue, Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal today said they were
free to visit his office to collect any information.
"An attempt is being made to create confusion... it is my
challenge that I will be in the office tomorrow, they come and
take all information after that either they should have to
apologise to the country or I will," Jaiswal told reporters
here.
He alleged that BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad has
levelled false allegations that allocation started after
Sriprakash Jaiswal became the coal minister.
"Today BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad once again
started the business of falsification. He gave the statement
that coal block allocation (has happened) after Sriprakash
Jaiswal became the coal minister," he said.
"In this connection I want to claim and also give a
challenge, first thing total 195 blocks were allotted from
1993 till regime of UPA I, which had been replied in the
Parliament question several times," he said.
"Was 196th block allotted? If not, then those indulging
into face saving and politics should get rid of their habit,"
he said.
He said not once but several times, it has been said that
no allocation was done after 2009.
"Due to election process if allocation process cannot go
ahead, it was issued by the signature of the under secretary.
But approval of all allocations were taken with the permission
from the competent authority and screening committee in the
regime of UPA I...after that no one had the courage to allot a
single block," he said.
The minister said efforts were being made to level another
allegation that one Manoj Kumar Jaiswal, to whom several
blocks were allotted, was his relative.
"My first question is that when as the coal minister when
I did not allocate even a single block, then what is...
relative and non-relative," he said.