Author: Agencies
Publication: The Statesman
Date: January 2, 2011
URL: http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=354320&catid=36
The Opposition BJP today hit out at the Congress-led
UPA government accusing it of not being serious about fighting corruption
and questioned its claims of ensuring fair probe into the 2G Spectrum scam.
The party said when the number two in the
Cabinet, finance minister Mr Pranab Mukherjee, is not in agreement with the
Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on the latter's offer to appear before
the PAC in the issue, the country must know on what basis the PM offered to
appear before the parliamentary committee. "The country is certainly
entitled to know that if the number two of Cabinet of Manmohan Singh is not
in agreement with him, then on what basis is he claiming that his offer to
appear before PAC can ensure a fair investigation into 2G scam?" asked
BJP spokesperson Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad.
He maintained that the more the government
delayed formation of a JPC into the 2G scam, the more it would be exposed
in front of the people that it is reluctant to have a fair probe in the "biggest
scam since independence". "It is well known that no minister can
appear before the PAC. All this only shows that the government has something
to hide. Therefore, there is a reluctance to agree to a JPC probe," Mr
Prasad said.
His comments came close on the heels of Mr
Mukherjee's remarks in Kolkata that the decision by the Prime Minister was
taken "without consulting us" which set political circles abuzz
that the senior Congress leader was openly disagreeing with Dr Singh's offer
to appear before the PAC in the 2G scam.
Another BJP leader, Mr Tarun Vijay, said that
this showed "the Congress is not at all serious about investigating corruption
cases. It is making a mockery of the whole issue.
"Nobody knows if the PM was serious when
he assured that he would appear before the PAC. Nobody knows what prompted
Mr Mukherjee to say that he (Prime Minister) should not appear (before the
PAC)," Mr Vijay said. "Pranab Da's and Manmonhan Singh's confusing
statements on the PAC indicate the non-serious nature of the Congress leadership
on the issue of corruption," Mr Vijay said. Asked if there were differences
between the two senior Congress leaders on the issue of the PM's appearance
before the PAC, Mr Vijay said: "The Congress hardly remains cohesive."
Sushma's take on price rise
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Ms Sushma
Swaraj tweeted that the "government has turned a blind eye and deaf ear"
as the common man is "suffering" in India. "I would like to
ask the government that we have discussed issue of price rise, not once, not
twice, but 10 times during (the United Progressive Alliance) UPA rule. What
is the outcome of those discussions," she asked on the micro blogging
site
