ON BOARD PM’S AIRCRAFT: An emotional Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday hit back at Team Anna’s allegation of corruption against him in coal block allotments, saying he would give up public life if charges levelled by the activists were proved.

“I will give up my public life even if there is an iota of truth in allegations levelled against me, and the country can give me my punishment. My long public career as finance minister, as leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha and now as prime minister has been an open book,” he said on the way back from Myanmar.

“It is unfortunate that irresponsible allegations relating to irregularities in allocation of coal blocks are being made without confirming facts,” a combative Singh said.

The PM’s decision to join issue with the Anna Hazare-led group is likely to precipitate a fresh confrontation with the transparency activists who recently targeted Singh personally – even referring to him as “Shikhandi” — for the first time over a Comptroller and Auditor General draft report on coal blocks.

Team Anna’s response to the PM’s outburst was one of defiance. Prashant Bhushan and Arvind Kejriwal said their charges were based on the findings of CAG that government’s decision not to auction coal blocks helped private companies derive undue benefit to the tune of Rs 1.8 lakh crore. Bhushan said while the PM may be honest, he had failed to stop others from engaging in corruption. Kejriwal said the PM should agree to let a committee of six retired judges probe Coalgate, and other charges against his ministers.

On his special aircraft, the PM said, “Bharat ki janta is baat ka faisla kare ki maine kya kasoor kiya hai ki mere liye aise kathin aur kathor shabd istemal kiye ja rahe hain (people of India should decide what wrong I have done that such harsh language is being used against me).”

He seemed particularly aggrieved by the words used against him. “But to use such language… I think the public in India should make up its mind whether this sort of politics should rule the roost in the country,” he said.

Singh had come prepared with a written statement on allegations against him over the issue of allocation of coal blocks when he held charge of the portfolio. The statement focused on the fact that the government had not received the CAG report on Coalgate yet, and that it would send its factual response to the Public Accounts Committee when the report is submitted. It added, “Uninformed allegations and discussions based on leaked drafts are unfortunate.”

By taking on the activists, the PM has got embroiled in a confrontation with Team Anna that he has so far stayed away from. The anti-graft activists also seem to be bracing for an escalation, with Bhushan saying Congress had used Singh as a “Shikhandi”, or a shield, against corruption. Ironically, the renewed offensive comes at a time when it is having to shake off the perception of divisions within: something that law minister Salman Khurshid played upon on Tuesday.

The PM’s outburst signals his confidence that people will not doubt his personal integrity. However, Congress managers are aware that unlike in the case of the 2G scam, coalition compulsions will not wash and the charges against the PM will have to be firmly and sturdily rejected. Also, the PM has allowed himself to be drawn into the fight when both he and his government look distracted and when the claims about their commitment to fight corruption are being questioned.

With Singh weighing in, sparks are bound to fly as Congress can be expected to come out strongly in his defence in a bid to ring fence him against personalized allegations. The focus will be on the PM although Team Anna had targeted no less than 15 ministers and a sense of besiegement may well grow.

The PM-Team Anna faceoff coincided with a clear display of differences in Team Anna on the issue. Team Anna member Justice Santosh Hedge said he was not in the loop over charges against the PM and disapproved of the Shikhandi remark.

The heightened hostilities come at a time when the Congress is still reeling from the political fallout of the Rs 7.50 a litre increase in petrol price, a move many in the party feel is too harsh and could have been rolled out incrementally.