I am not quitting : PM

New Delhi, Feb 16 (PTI) Admitting that "some
compromises" have to be made in managing a coalition, Indian
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday declared that his
government will bring the wrongdoers in scams to book but
ruled out quitting from his post.
He asserted that his government was not lameduck nor was
he a lameduck Prime Minister and it was a functioning
government that would go after the scamsters.
On the 2G scam involving former Indian Telecom Minister
A Raja, the Prime Minister said concerns were expressed but he
did not press for auction after Ministries of Telecom and
Finance agreed to go by the prevailing practice of not
auctioning the spectrum which was also supported by expert
bodies like TRAI and Telecom Commission.
About re-induction of Raja despite complaints, he said
in a coalition, it was not in his hands about whom to be
inducted from a coalition partner. "You cannot suggest your
preferences and you have to go by the choice of the leader of
the party.
"Raja and Dayanidhi Maran were the choice of DMK
(Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam) and I had no reason to feel that
anything seriously wrong has been done. I did not feel that I
had the authority to object to Raja's entry although
complaints were coming from some companies who were not
benefitted and some who had not benefitted adequately. I was
not in a position to make up my mind about Raja", he said.
The Prime Minister said "in a coalition, there is a
coalition dharma. Obviously, things are not entirely what I
would like them to be. I never felt like resigning as I have a
job to do.
"The country voted our party to be the leader of the UPA
(United Progressive Alliance) coalition and we have lot of
unfinished tasks to be accomplished. I have never felt of
giving up halfway. I will stay the course. I never thought of
resigning," he told television editors at an interaction here.
During the 70-minute interaction, the Prime Minister
fielded a wide range of questions covering mainly issues of
corruption including the ISRO's deal on S-band spectrum,
governance deficit, economy and Parliament standoff currently
being faced by the ruling party.
Singh also made it clear that he was not afraid of
facing any Parliamentary committee including a Joint
Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on 2G scam.
He said all efforts were being made and talks were on
with opposition to ensure smooth budget session of Parliament.
"I don't say I have never made any mistake. But I am not
that big a culprit as being made out to be," he said in reply
to a question whether he would accept personal responsibility
as head of the government for whatever has happened in the
government.
"I am conscious about personal responsibility. I feel
about it. My compuslion is that I have to bear a lot because
we cannot have elections in every six months. Some compromises
have to be made in managing a coalition. A coalition
government has to be viewed in a context that no single party
has emerged to rule by itself," he said. (MORE) PTI