Ashwani Kumar denies meeting PM

New Delhi, May 9 (IANS) Law Minister Ashwani Kumar Thursday denied reports that he had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his office, a day after the Supreme Court pulled up the government over the CBI probe into coal blocks allocations.

An official of Ashwani Kumar’s office had earlier said that the minister had a “regular meeting” with the PM.

Accosted by reporters, he denied he had met the prime minister.

“I did not meet the prime minister today,” Ashwani Kumar said.

He also declined to speak on the Supreme Court observations.

The court had said Wednesday that the heart of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) report was changed on the suggestions of the minister and government officials.

The court had also asked the government whether it was contemplating a law to make the working of the CBI independent and insulate it from extraneous intrusion and interferences.

The court’s observations came on CBI director Ranjit Sinha’s second affidavit filed Monday stating that Ashwani Kumar and senior officials of the Prime Minister’s Office and the coal ministry had made certain changes in the report on the allocation of coal blocks.

Following the Supreme Court’s observations Wednesday, the BJP renewed its attack on Ashwani Kumar and reiterated its demand for his resignation.

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