Sonia holds strategy meet ahead of Parliament session

With the second phase of Parliament's Budget session set to start next week, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Friday held a strategy meeting with senior leaders at a time when the Opposition is expected to raise the coal scam and 2G spectrum issues.

Defence Minister A K Antony, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath and Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who is also the Leader of the Lok Sabha, were present at the meeting.

Congress President's Political Secretary Ahmed Patel and Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh also took part in the meeting held a day after the government reached a broad consensus with political parties over the Land Acquistion Bill.

BJP has been demanding resignation of Law Minister Ashwani Kumar in the wake of recent reports that he summoned the CBI chief and the report on the coal scam was changed and toned down after the meeting. Congress has rejected the charge of interference in the preparation of the CBI report in the coal scam for the Supreme Court.

"CBI works independently. There is no pressure of any kind. The Supreme Court has already directed it to file an affidavit. I think anyone making any kind of allegations should wait. Things will get clarified. There is no question of law minister's resignation," is the refrain of Congress.

BJP has been pressing for setting up of a Special Investigation Team to probe alleged government interference in the coal scam report.

The leakage of the draft JPC report on the 2G scam has also led to controversy with BJP and CPI dubbing that it has been reduced to a "Congress report". They have stated that they will give their dissent notes separately while alleging that it was a cover up exercise.