"And, I am sorry that the house is not allowed to function, and the BJP is determined to disrupt the normal functioning of Parliament. I wish to assure the country that we have a very strong and credible case, the observations of the CAG are disputable, and they will be challenged when the matter comes before Parliamentary Accounts Committee. So, once again I appeal to the opposition to come back to the house to debate all these issues and let the country judge where the truth lies," he added.
Dr Singh, who is under attack over the allocation during 2005-2009 when he held the coal portfolio, has been waiting to make a statement since last week but could not do so because of disruption caused by opposition, mainly by the BJP.
The BJP has been demanding that the Prime Minister should first tender his resignation over the issue.
The BJP has held the Prime Minister, who then held direct charge of the coal ministry, responsible for what has been estimated as a notional loss of Rs 1.86 lakh crore by the CAG in coal block allocations, and demanded his resignation.
The CAG report on coal block allocations states that nearly 150 coalfields were allotted to private and state-run firms without transparency and objectivity between 2005 and 2009.
