Ranchi, July 03: BJP leader and Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Murli Manohar Joshi today accused the UPA government at the Center of being ‘protector, promoter and supporter’ of corruption.
”The UPA government encourages corruption and tries to protect people involved in them…and above all creates obstacles in investigation of scams and scandals,” Mr Joshi told reporters here.
Taking strong exception to the views of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal on the institution of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and PAC, Mr Joshi said while the CAG was a constitutional body, the PAC was created by Parliament and it was their duty to verify the various cases brought before them.
”The UPA government wants to suppress the inquiry reports into the corruption cases by the CAG and the PAC,” he remarked.
He said Dr Manmohan Singh was ‘being misled by his informers’ and there was a need to provide the right information to him.
”The PM said it was for the first time that the CAG had called a press conference before a report was tabled in Parliament…but it is a regular norm followed by the CAG to brief the press about the main highlights of its findings,” Mr Joshi said.
A judgement in this regard was also passed by the Madras High Court where briefing by the CAG was termed right, he informed.
Mr Joshi said according to the CAG’s report on the 2G Spectrum an estimated Rs 1.76 lakh crore was lost by the excheqer, but as per Mr Sibal it was just Rs 17,755 crore. ”This shows the eagerness of the Congress to protect the culprits,” he commented.
Criticising Dr Singh on his role during the 2G scam, the BJP leader alleged that the PM was well informed about the happenings in the Telecom Ministry. He also wrote a letter to Mr A Raja, the then telecom minister, to check any wrongdoings in his department, Mr Joshi added.
”Mr Raja replied to the letter sent to him by the Prime Minister’s Office, which was duly received by the PMO, then how can Dr Singh say that he was not aware of the happenings,” he asked.
”Everything was happening right below the Prime Minister’s nose…and not only leaders of different political parties but also industrialists and intellectuals wrote to him asking him to take action against the wrongdoings in the telecom ministry,” Mr Joshi maintained.