UPA objects to Jaswant, Yashwant in JPC
The BJP’s nomination of former Union ministers — Jaswant Singh and Yashwant Sinha — to the Joint Parliamentary Committee in the spectrum allocation scam could lead to a controversy with the Congress planning to raise objections. This was indicated here on Friday evening.
According to sources in the government and the UPA, the Congress members in the JPC could raise objections to the continuation of Mr Singh and Mr Sinha on the ground of their role in the telecom policy during 1998 to 2004 when Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister.
While Mr Singh was said to had headed a Group of Ministers on issues concerning telecom, Mr Yashwant Sinha was the finance minister whose ministry was involved in the policy making on telecom, a Congress leader pointed out.
The main Opposition BJP suggested their names for a 30-member JPC from the Lok Sabha along with Mr Gopinath Munde and Mr Harin Pathak.
The Lok Sabha adopted a motion: “That a Joint committee of both the Houses consisting of 30 members — 20 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha be appointed” on February 24. It was moved by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and was adopted after the discussion.
The Congress’ strategy appears to put a question mark on the credibility of Mr Jaswant Singh and Mr Yashwant Sinha.
This is because UPA’s entire defence is based on the role of the NDA government in formulating the telecom policy which led to the 2G spectrum allocation scam.
“If the DMK and the Congress are to be blamed for the scam, then the BJP is equally guilty for it.” This has been the argument of the Congress and the DMK.
Recently, Sushma Swaraj had objected to a one paragraph (item III) of the terms of reference of the JPC, saying that it should not confine to the “allocation and pricing of telecom licences.”
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