Author: D K Singh
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: December 11, 2010
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/allies-try-to-break-congs-jpc-stonewall/721282/0
As the deadlock in Parliament entered its 17th day with barely a week left
in this session, the Congress was under increasing pressure from its allies
to accept the Opposition's demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC)
to probe the 2G spectrum scam.
A scheduled meeting between Finance Minister
Pranab Mukherjee and UPA partners this evening was postponed.
The Congress isn't inclined to give in conscious
of the fact that it could be in a minority in the JPC. It also fears that
the JPC could go on for "two to three years" casting a shadow on
the 2014 elections as also on the ensuing Assembly elections in different
states. And that this could keep the "scam" pot boiling.
Moreover, there is always the possibility
of the Opposition trying to target the Prime Minister by involving him or
his office in the course of the JPC probe.
Yet, there is "tremendous pressure"
from its allies to set up a JPC. As The Indian Express had first reported,
Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee had an open mind on the JPC given
that she is under pressure from the Left in her state on the spectrum scam.
"The more we resist a JPC, the more it signals we are hiding something,"
said a TMC leader. Demanding a JPC, Banerjee was learnt to have told the Congress
leadership last Saturday that the Left was taking a moral high ground on the
issue of corruption while the TMC, as part of the UPA government, was on the
backfoot on this issue in West Bengal. The UPA government's stand has been
that as per Constitutional provisions, the CAG report on the 2G spectrum
allocation has to be referred to the Public
Accounts Committee (PAC). The government also offered to the Opposition that
a multi-disciplinary investigative agency could be attached with the PAC to
assist it. The Opposition has rejected these proposals. Allies have argued
that it's better to have a JPC headed by a ruling party leader than a PAC
headed by an Opposition leader, said sources. Leaders of the NCP, the DMK
and the National Conference were also learnt to have argued in favour of a
JPC in their deliberations with Mukherjee in the past few days. After a meeting
with Mukherjee on Monday evening, however, Sharad Pawar said that the UPA
was "united" and its view is "collective". "Where
is the question of split? We will discuss," he said. Asked whether some
of the UPA allies hold different views than that of the Congress on JPC, he
said, "It will be a collective decision. I don't think any change is
there. Opposition is insisting on JPC. Government thinks Public Accounts Committee
is sufficient," said Pawar.
Asked about the NCP's stance, he said, "We
are here to discuss the issue as UPA and not as NCP or any other party."
