Onboard Air India One, Aug 31 (ANI): The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, said on Friday that he would welcome any move to end the logjam in Parliament, but added that he was not tuned in or well informed on reports of Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav considering plans to form a Third Front of non Congress and non-BJP parties in the run-up to the 2014 general elections.

Asked for his reaction to leaders of the Samajwadi Party, the Communist Party of India and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) demonstrating outside the gates of Parliament over a demand to resume debate and discussion on issues affecting the people of the country, Dr. Singh said that as he had been away in Tehran for the NAM Summit, it wouldn't be proper to offer a comment.

"Mai Toh Teen Din Sey Yahaan (Tehran) Hoon.  A week in politics is a long period of time. I am not well informed of the intentions of who have joined hands with Mulayam Singhji. If they have come together to plead with the BJP that what is happening in Parliament, the impasse is not good, then I welcome it," said Singh.

The Prime Minister's comment came as Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav along with Left and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders staged a sit in the portico of Parliament House against the logjam in Parliament over coal block allocations.

The MPs shouted slogans against the disruption of the Parliament and demanded that a Supreme Court judge probe the CAG report on coal block allocations.

 "We want that Parliament should run, and there should be a discussion. Coalgate scam should be investigated and the accused should be punished," Mulayam Yadav had earlier said.
 
The protest came in the backdrop of Parliament failing to transact any business for almost two weeks now, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led opposition sticking to their demand for Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's resignation over the issue.
 
The Prime Minister had earlier on Monday rejected the CAG's observations as 'misleading' and 'flawed', and blamed the opposition parties for thwarting the efforts of his government to bring a policy of competitive bidding.
 
Dr. Manmohan Singh, who is facing sharp criticism from the opposition over the CAG report on coal block allocations, also urged the BJP to debate the issue in Parliament and not disrupt proceedings.
 
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 crores 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.

By Smita Prakash (ANI)