Author: IANS
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: April 28, 2011
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/334973/Cong-DMK-camp-rally-to-block-PAC-report.html
A meeting of parliament's Public Accounts
Committee (PAC) meeting turned ugly Thursday with panel chief Murli Manohar
Joshi walking out in anger and members of the ruling combine replacing him
with Saifuddin Soz to move a resolution rejecting the draft report on the
2G spectrum case.
During the meeting at the Parliament House
complex here, Congress and DMK members, supported by the Samajwadi Party and
the Bahujan Samaj Party, moved a resolution that the draft report should be
put to vote. They gave in writing the support of 11 members -- exactly half
of the 22-member panel.
At this, Joshi, who is a leader of the opposition
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), got angry, abruptly adjourned the meeting and
walked out. Joshi had support from members of the Shiv Sena, Janata Dal-United
and the Biju Janata Dal.
But Congress member Naveen Jindal said the
chairman had not adjourned the meeting. The remaining 11 members then appointed
Soz as the acting chairman to preside over the meeting.
Soz, in his capacity as the acting chairman,
got a resolution passed rejecting the report, Jindal said.
Soz and the rest of the members then submitted
the resolution rejecting the report and the written votes of 11 members to
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar.
The opposition has been vociferously demanding
that the report be submitted as it is.
The BJP said that Joshi in his capacity as
the chairman of the panel could still finalise the report and submit the report.
The draft 270-page report, which was circulated
among members Wednesday, has criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for
giving an "indirect green signal" to former IT and communications
minister A. Raja to execute his "unfair and dubious designs" in
selling scarce radio waves at throwaway prices.
The report does not hold Manmohan Singh directly
responsible for the alleged losses the 2008 sale of telecom licences caused
to the nation. However, the prime minister does face criticism in the report.
