Some compromises made, I am not quitting half-way: PM

New Delhi, Feb 16 (PTI) With his government's image
dented over a rash of scams, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh on Wednesday conceded that he had to make "some
compromises" to run a coalition but ruled out quitting
"half-way".
He declared that his government was "dead serious in
bringing to book all the wrongdoers regardless of the position
they occupy" with regard to 2G spectrum allocation, CWG, ISRO
spectrum allocation and Adarsh Housing scams.
In his 70-minute interaction with TV editors here, he
asserted that his government was not lame-duck nor was he a
lame-duck Prime Minister although he admitted that there were
"weaknesses of processes in governance" and the "quality of
governance" needed to be improved.
On the controversial 2G spectrum allocation, he made it
clear that it was done "exclusively" by the Telecom Ministry
under A Raja and he or the Cabinet had nothing to do with the
first-come first-serve policy adopted.
His hands were also tied by "coalition politics" over the
re-induction of Raja into the Cabinet in 2009 despite
complaints against him, Singh said.
Giving clearest signals that the government is willing to
have a JPC probe into 2G scam, the Prime Minister said all
efforts were being made to ensure smooth functioning of the
upcoming Budget session of Parliament and talks were underway
in this regard with the Opposition.
He said he was "not afraid" of facing any committee,
including a Joint Parliamentary Committee, on 2G scam and
dismissed suggestions that he was blocking an agreement with
the Opposition on formation of JPC because he was reluctant to
appear before it.
During the interaction, Singh fielded questions on a
range of issues, predominantly related to corruption that has
clouded his government in the recent months.
"I am conscious about personal responsibility. I feel
about it. My compulsion is that I have to bear a lot because
we cannot have elections in every six months," he said when
asked to reflect upon the happenings in the government.
"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.
Asked if he ever thought of quitting "frustrated that he
was surrounded by a lot of corrupt people", Singh said "in a
coalition, there is a coalition dharma. Obviously, things are
not entirely what I would like them to be. But quite frankly,
I never felt like resigning. I have a job to do.
"The country voted our party to be the leader of the UPA
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 said.
"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. (MORE) PTI