The Congress on Wednesday said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s offer to appear before the PAC was his “personal sentiment” and did not mean that the government had conceded to any demand.
“There is no question of devaluing by offering to appear voluntarily....There is hardly any question. He (PM) showed respect on a voluntary basis. It is a personal sentiment in a certain context. He is under no legal obligation. He is not setting precedents. It is to show to the people that he has nothing to hide and the continued obstruction of Parliament was a gimmick,” Congress party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters at the AICC briefing.
His remarks came in response to a volley of questions whether Dr Manmohan Singh’s offer to appear before the PAC was not in sync with the party’s stand on the issue that the Opposition’s sole aim behind demanding a JPC was calling Prime Minister before it and the party will not allow denigrating the institution of Prime Minister.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, another party leader described the offer of the Prime Minister’s as the “right emotional gesture to communicate with the public”.