PM's image beyond doubt: Congress

With Team Anna accusing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of corruption, the Congress party Wednesday hit back and said his image is beyond reproach.

'The prime minister is the leader of the country... His image is beyond doubt... Anybody levelling charges of corruption against him and claiming proof thereof should go to the police station instead of approaching the media,' Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi told reporters here.

He said the language used by Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan was unfortunate and deplorable.

Team Anna had last week charged the prime minister and 14 cabinet ministers of 'massive' corruption and sought an independent probe into the charges.

Team Anna also questioned the role of Manmohan Singh in the coal scam unearthed by the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG). 

The prime minister held the coal portfolio from November 2006 to May 2009.

The prime minister reacted strongly on Tuesday saying he would quit public life if the allegations were proved. Faced with this direct attack, Team Anna on Wednesday said it had the 'deepest regard' for him but wanted to know where a first information report (FIR) could be registered against an allegedly corrupt minister.

'We have the deepest regard for the prime minister... but we want to know which agency can register an FIR against a minister,' Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal told reporters at his residence in a Delhi suburb.

Kejriwal also wondered 'why the PM had overlooked the advice of the coal secretary to auction coal blocks'.