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Govt, Opposition on collision course over JPC draft on 2G
Parties to raise issue in House; PM was kept informed, says Raja
Tribune News Service

The JPC report is yet to be finalised. The JPC is going to meet, and once the report is finalised, it shall be presented to Parliament. And that's the time we all shall debate it. — Kapil Sibal, Telecom Minister

New Delhi, April 19
A confrontation between the UPA Government and the Opposition is brewing over the draft report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee probing the 2G Spectrum allocation issue with the Government seeking to douse the inflamed Opposition to wait for the final version.

A day after reports appeared stating that the panel's draft findings exonerated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the then Finance Minister P Chidambaram in the allocation issue, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal urged both the Opposition and media to refrain from speculation even as the BJP and the Left parties attacked the move. “The JPC report is yet to be finalised. The JPC is going to meet, and once it is finalised, it shall be presented to Parliament. And that's the time we all shall debate it because we will have to look at what the reasons are in the report for the conclusion that they have arrived at and we don't know either at the moment...So I request the Opposition and the media to refrain from speculating and to wait so that a proper debate can take place, both within Parliament and outside it,” Sibal said.

Tempers rising BJP spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad said the report gave the impression of the Congress’ “overpowering desire to save its leaders in the 2G scam”. He said his party’s “strong objections” on the issue would be conveyed ‘firmly’ at the JPC meeting on April 25 This is a breach of parliamentary propriety where any report or draft is debated, discussed and amendments are moved, he added CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta said while the PM may not be involved, there was enough proof that he was “well aware of what was happening”

The draft of the JPC findings was circulated to its members last night and as media reported portions from it, the Opposition attacked the draft dubbing it as a “Congress document”.

Today, the BJP raised the pitch by objecting to the “leakage” of the draft report and termed it as a “gross breach of parliamentary propriety”.

The issue is bound to acquire pace amid strong indications that the others parties, including the Left, would take it up when both the Houses of Parliament resume sittings in the ongoing budget session on Monday.

Setting the mood, for the second half of the session, BJP spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad said the report gave the impression of the Congress party’s “overpowering desire to save its leaders in the 2G scam without objectively considering the wider ramification of this massive scam which shamed the country”.

Prasad said his party’s “strong objections” on the issue would be conveyed “firmly and forcefully” at the formal JPC meeting scheduled for April 25.

“This is a gross breach of well settled parliamentary propriety where any report or draft is debated, discussed, amendments are moved in the formal meeting and thereafter a view is taken,” he added.

While DMK chief M Karunanidhi wondered how a minister could mislead a Prime Minister, former Telecom Minister told correspondents in Chennai that he had done everything in consultation with the Prime Minister.

CPI leader and JPC member Gurudas Dasgupta told The Tribune he could submit either a dissent note or work on an alternative report.

He maintained that while the Prime Minister may not be involved, there was enough evidence that he was “well aware of what was happening”. The report and its contents could become a rallying point for Opposition to stall proceedings of Parliament.