'Drop Kamal Nath from Cabinet till pulses export probe': BJP

New Delhi, Mar 29 (UNI) Asserting involvement of several political bigwigs in the pulses export scam violating the government's own policy, the BJP today called upon the Prime Minister to drop Commerce Minister Kamal Nath pending a criminal investigation into the export of pulses.

BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the CBI had not even registered an FIR into the export of pulses worth Rs 500-Rs 600 crore outside the country, violating the government order intended to bring down the prices.

This had contradicted the revelations of the Commerce Minister that his ministry had referred the issue to the CBI on March 15 itself. Mr Prasad had sought a criminal investigation into the pulses exports amending the ministry's notification.

He also released the 'one sentence' reply of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh merely acknowledging the receipt of his March 22 letter regarding the 'rise in prices of pulses'.

''The PM maintaining a conspicuous silence about the probe is indicative of the pressure under which he was and the investigation is tending to become ominous. Under such suspicious circumstances, it is better to keep out Mr Kamal Nath from the Cabinet till cleared of the probe,'' Mr Prasad said.

UNI