The Congress party on Sunday hoped that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would not to stall the second half of the budget session of parliament over the telecom scam.
Party spokesman Rashid Alvi said issues relating to people of India should be addressed peacefully and responsibly during the parliament session.
“See, if the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wants to discuss the issues in the parliament, then it is possible as the parliament is place to debate but it has become a routine for the BJP to stall the business of the parliament. I hope that the opposition will responsibly perform in the second half budget session of the parliament as the bills related to the people of the country are pending. So I hope that the bill will get passed, important issues will be discussed,” said Alvi.
Alvi also criticised the BJP for repeatedly stalling business in parliament.
The BJP had earlier called the leaked draft of the JPC report on the 2G telecom scam as a ”Congress Report”, and said senior leaders would forcefully and firmly object to this draft report in the next meeting of the parliamentary panel.
The 2G scam, which may have cost the exchequer up to 39 billion dollars in estimated lost revenue, has led to the sacking and arrest of former telecom minister A.Raja and a CBI investigation of telecom firms.
A joint parliamentary panel was set up to investigate the details of the scam and in its draft report the panel has cleared the names of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, saying that A. Raja had ”misled” them.
Raja, the main accused in the multi-billion dollar scam, has volunteered to depose before the Joint Parliament Committee (JPC) to express his defence.
The chairman of the JPC, P. C. Chacko, who is also a senior Congress leader, has refused Raja”s request.
Janata Dal (United) leader Shivanand Tiwari has also joined the critics bandwagon for the JPC report giving a clean chit to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister Chidambaram.
“I am surprised over the JPC giving a clean chit. A Raja is accused in the case and he has been saying that he wants to be present before JPC (Joint Parliament Committee) and they are not giving him the chance to express his views.What does that mean? Before that, the Prime Minister has made a statement that he was ready to face any investigating agency, then why was his statement taken, when he himself that he is ready to face the JPC. Why does the JPV have a problem with this? I think, the entire issue is embroiled,” said Tiwari. (ANI)