Confrontation between the government and the Opposition could intensify further irrespective of whether the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report of Parliament on the 2G spectrum scam would be placed in the Lok Sabha.
PAC chairman Murli Manohar Joshi on Saturday submitted the report to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and insisted that it be tabled in Parliament. “I have submitted the report... My expectation is that the Speaker should accept it and place it in Parliament,” Dr Joshi said.
The government and the Congress managers have refused the PAC’s draft report after 11 members of the UPA and supporting parties rejected it while 10 members supported it. But their rejection or support came even it before the committee had full discussion, clause-by-clause discussion, on it.
The Opposition is jubilant after realising that the corruption issue has punctured the Congress’ aam aadmi plank. “They (the Congress) may try to confuse people if the results in the five state Assemblies would be on the expected lines. But the corruption issue would not die down even if the Congress wins Kerala, Assam, Puducherry and West Bengal,” Opposition leaders said. Attempts to delay placing the PAC report in the Lok Sabha could affect the Monsoon Session of Parliament and influence the government’s key legislative business.
On the other hand, civil society groups led by Mr Anna Hazare could launch their agitation on the Lokpal Bill outside Parliament if the government tries to dilute it.
The UPA’s crisis managers had sought to discredit civil society members on the joint drafting committee for the Lokpal Bill. Later, they attacked Dr Joshi saying he is “Doshi” and now opposing Dr Joshi’s renomination to the PAC ignoring that they cannot dictate the BJP who should be its nominee to head the committee.
They had given a clean chit to former telecom minister A. Raja and questioned the credibility of the CAG report on the 2G spectrum allocation even before waiting a report of the PAC or the JPC. The ruling coalition has been on the defensive on the issues like 2G spectrum, CWG, Adarsha housing scams, black money and CVC appointment.
Meanwhile, the Congress on Saturday dared the BJP to have a vote on the PAC tomorrow on the its draft report on the 2G scam.
“Please have the vote tomorrow if Murli Manohar Joshi is ready and BJP is ready,” AICC spokesman Abhishek Singhvi told reporters in reply to a volley of questions on the issue.
Mr Singhvi insisted that Dr Joshi did not allow a formal vote to be recorded at the controversial meeting of the PAC two days back despite Congress and DMK members repeatedly pressing for it.Besides, he wondered as to why A Raja, whose evidence was crucial for the 2G scam probe, was not summoned by the PAC.
He also faulted the PAC chairman for noting the deposition of Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister as also that of the Attorney General were mentioned in the draft report when the fact of the matter was they had not appeared before the Committee.
In Chandigarh,parliamentary affairs minister Pawan Kumar Bansal Dr Joshi had no right to
submit the draft report to Lok Sabha Speaker as it was ‘rejected’ by a majority of the Committee’s members.
“Who has given him the right (to submit the report to the Speaker). I find it laughable... Dr Joshi has gone on to submit that report which has no value legally or according to parliamentary traditions,” he told reporters .
“I pity him... The report has been rejected. Even if it is assumed that it has not been rejected, the fact remains it has not been passed by the majority,” he said.