PAC chief prevented from tabling findings that hint at PM, PC role in the case.
The political storm over the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on the 2G scam brewed afresh on Tuesday after panel head Murli Manohar Joshi attempted in vain to re-submit the controversial findings which were earlier trashed.
At a meeting that ended in disarray, the Congress thwarted the senior BJP leader’s attempt to table the report, which had hinted at prime minister Manmohan Singh and home minister P Chidambaram’s role in the alleged 2G scam, before the reconstituted PAC.
Congress members, led by Jayanti Natarajan, opposed this on the ground that a report that had been rejected by the panel and returned to it by Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar could not be considered again in its original form, sources said.
Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar had returned the draft report saying she cannot accept it since it was not read and adopted as per rules and procedures. The Congress MPs vehemently opposed the report, the moment Joshi attempted to table it for adoption during the first meeting of the newly constituted PAC on Tuesday. Joshi has been reappointed as the chairman of the new PAC.
In a stormy meeting, which lasted for three hours, the same report was tabled afresh and was rejected out rightly by the seven Congress members who claimed that the report has no validity since it was rejected by the Lok Sabha speaker.
In contrast new entrants like Sandeep Dikshit of Congress and Satish Mishra of Bahujan Samajwadi Party wanted to read the report before giving their views.
However, it is unlikely that the report may be accepted in its present form even as Joshi said he is going to consult legal experts on the matter. “CAG and PAC are watchdogs according to the government, but whichever exposes corruption becomes the black sheep,” Joshi reacted sharply after the meeting.
“The Government should make CAG report public. At the time of commencement of the audit, gas projects audit was done when the ministry had asked for it. But the Government trying to manipulate it and the report should be presented before parliament. I request PM to instruct his ministers to act swiftly on any inquiries relating to corruption,” Joshi added.
Biju Janata Dal’s Bhatruhari Mehta said: “The PAC report on 2G Spectrum issue is an unfinished task. The committee should adopt it unanimously as required after making the necessary changes, either deletions or additions. But it is not an option to dump the report as such.
“Yes. There are some Congress members who argue that since the JPC is looking into the 2G issue, there is no need for the PAC to go into it. But I think this is not an option. The PAC must complete the job. Otherwise it would amount to dereliction of duty,” Mehta said.
—WIth IANS inputs
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}