Disapproving the findings of the Joint Parliamentary Committee”s (JPC) draft report on the 2G spectrum scam, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran Lal Krishna Advani on Saturday questioned how it had given a clean chit to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram.
“The JPC was constituted after a lot of pressure from us in the Parliament. But the manner in which the JPC report has been prepared and leaked to a select few in the media is surprising. I was stunned to know from our members in the Joint Parliamentary Committee that there are serious allegations made against Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Jaswant Singh and Arun Shourie that the nation suffered a loss of due to them,” said Advani.
“We all who heard this felt outraged at this kind of attitude of the UPA Government. It is shocking. It violates all norms of decency,” he added, while talking to mediapersons here after a meeting of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders in Delhi to firm up their strategy for the Budget Session of Parliament.
Advani also questioned as to why former Telecom Minister A. Raja was not allowed to appear before the JPC.
BJP President Rajnath Singh earlier in the day expressed shock at the leakage of the draft JPC report on 2G scam, and urged Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar to look into the incident and ensure a genuine report.
“How do we trust the credibility and transparency of the report made by the Joint Parliamentary Committee on 2G scam. I would request the Speaker of the Lok Sabha to take stock of this grave matter,” he said.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari today hit out at the BJP for denouncing the leaked draft report on the 2G spectrum scam that gave a clean chit to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram in the case.
Tewari labelled BJP”s remarks as uncalled for.
“The people who have rejected the report or are making unnecessary comments are maybe forgetting that when the ”Loklekha Samiti” (Public Accounts Committee (PAC)) was constituted, its report was prepared under the office of secretariat of Murli Manohar Joshi. Similarly it has been a tradition that secretariat of JPC prepares and sends the report to all members,” he said.
Former Telecom Minister Raja, who has been accused of indulging in a scam worth Rs. 1.76 lakh crore when in office, on Friday reiterated that he did everything in consultation with the Prime Minister, and said that he will prove his innocence in the 2G spectrum scam case.
“When I demitted office, I gave interview to the channels that I did everything in consultation with the Prime Minister. And thereafter, when I was arrested and when I advanced the argument before the court also, the same argument was submitted in the court. So, my stand is very clear… I will prove my innocence and I will send a note to the JPC,” said Raja.
“I do hope that at least after the petition with my detailed note, they may call me,” he added, while talking to mediapersons in Chennai.
Raja, who belongs to M. Karunanidhi-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), has repeatedly said that the Prime Minister and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram were in the loop over policy decisions related to 2G spectrum allocation.
According to media reports, a leaked draft report of the committee says Raja had tweaked the rules to award mobile permits to a few chosen companies, and that the Prime Minister and Finance Minister were not informed about the changes.
The draft report has given a clean chit to the Prime Minister on the 2G spectrum allocation, saying he was misled by the then Telecom Minister.
The report blames Raja for tweaking norms in favour of a few companies. It rubbishes the loss figure of 1.76 lakh crore rupees estimated by the CAG.
Opposition members from the same committee from the BJP and the Left have said they disagree with the report. The BJP has decided to challenge the report at a meeting on April 25.
The government, which is under sharp criticism from the BJP and other opposition parties over the draft JPC report on 2G scam, yesterday asked the opposition to refrain from speculation.
“The JPC report is yet to be finalised. JPC is going to meet, and once it is finalised, it shall be presented to Parliament. And that”s the time we all shall debate it because we will have to look at what the reasons are in the report for the conclusion that they have arrived at and we don”t know either at the moment,” said Communications and IT Minister Kapil Sibal.
“So, I request the opposition and the media to refrain from speculating and to wait so that a proper debate can take place, both within Parliament and outside it,” he added.
The 2G scam has damaged the reputation of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government and also tarnished the image of the country”s telecom sector.
Raja was forced to resign from the Union Cabinet after a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) faulted him for undervaluing spectrum to favour companies who were largely ineligible for 2G spectrum, and added that the government had probably lost Rs. 1.76 lakh crore in estimated revenue. (ANI)