Coal Allotment: Chorus for PM's Resignation, Parliament Adjourned

As the opposition raised a din, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla said the government was ready for a discussion. Shukla then said the BJP was running away from a discussion and that their chief ministers were involved in corruption.

As the opposition members continued raising slogans, Kurien adjourned the house for the day.

"It is the demand of the nation as people are shocked to see the way the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) regime is looting the country," said BJP leader Prakash Javadekar.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal blamed the opposition for disrupting proceedings.

"It is unfortunate that they stalled the house and didn't let anyone speak. We are prepared for a detailed discussion and then we will see what happens. They (BJP) want to create a situation of crisis but people should know the truth and what is their (BJP) role in coal allocation scam," said Bansal adding that demands for the prime minister's resignation were "baseless".

India's official auditor had last week revealed that the lack of transparency in the allocation of coal blocks to private players resulted in a loss of a whopping 1.85 lakh crore ($37 billion) to the exchequer as on March 11 last year.

The audit report does not directly indict the prime minister or his office. But during the time these mining blocks in question were allotted, the coal portfolio was held by him -- between July 2004 and May 2009.