Ball in Speaker’s court
The controversy over “legality” of adjourning a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament and its report on the 2G spectrum scam has reached the Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar after the members of Congress and its allies and the Opposition raised this issue in the meeting which turned out to be “unprecedented and stormy” here on Thursday.
The Speaker is in Arunachal Pradesh and will be back on Friday night. “ She is aware (of the developments) ... Speaker’s view will prevail, “ official sources said here on Thursday night.
Three decisions taken at the meeting which generated controversy were: Adjournment of the meeting, election of Mr Saifudin Soz to preside over the meeting after the adjournment and moving a motion to put the draft report of PAC to vote. Besides, breach of privilege issue was also involved.
The PAC chairman, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, will meet the Speaker on Saturday to complain the unparliamentary behaviour of members belonging to the Congress and its allies. On the other hand, the latter claimed that it has already approached the Speaker’ office. The Speaker’s ruling may not only confine to the PAC but could also have a bearing in the Lok Sabha proceedings since the spectrum scam has already consolidated the entire Opposition in the Parliament.
Appointing a chairman of the PAC is the Speaker’s privilege, how can he be appointed merely on the basis of numbers. Moreover, the post is always given to the Opposition member from the Lok Sabha. But in this case, Mr Soz belongs to the ruling Congress and is the Rajya Sabha member.
The Congress members declared that Dr Joshi’s decision of adjourning the meeting as “illegal”. They claimed that Dr Joshi adjourned the meeting at a time when a motion of rejecting the PAC report was moved.
“When the meeting is over, there can be no case to elect the new chairman.. You talk to the Speaker,” Dr Joshi said, adding anybody else can be appointed chairman only if the current one is unfit to attend proceedings or refuses to attend these.
Asked to comment on the developments, he said such development amounted to “casting aspersions on the Lok Sabha Secretariat”.
While Dr Joshi claimed that he had “adjourned” the meeting as there was “no order”, UPA members said the chairman had “walked out” and “run away”. Along with him, Opposition members also left the hall.
A PAC member said the scene in the meeting was similar to that of the Parliament where members of the ruling and Opposition parties get up simultaneously to score over each other.
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