Joshi accuses UPA govt of trying to divide PAC on party lines

Lucknow, May 10: UPA government is trying to make the PAC a "puppet" in its hands and divide it on party lines when the mandate of the panel is to be bipartisan said Murli Manohar Joshi, chairperson of the parliamentary committee that examined the 2G spectrum scam.

"It is shocking that four ministers were sitting in the Parliament office of the Congress and sending chits and giving directions to their members in the PAC to do this or do that.

In a way they are making PAC a captive committee," Joshi told reporters here. He maintained that the PAC is not supposed to work on party lines.

"They (union ministers) want to make PAC a puppet. They want to run it on directions of the government and the party (Congress). A probe against corruption cannot be held with these big hurdles," Joshi said.

Union Ministers Kapil Sibal, P Chidambaram, Pawan Kumar Bansal and N Narayansamy were present in Parliament on April 28 when the PAC meeting was on. Joshi has alleged that they were sending directions to Congress members while the proceedings were on.

"It is as if they (Congress members) are actors and these people (ministers) are producers. This is a serious insult to the parliamentary process," he said.

The senior BJP leader said while Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said that immediate action should be taken against those indulging in corruption, his own ministerial colleagues were making all efforts to stop the probe against corruption.

"Is there no effect of his advice on his council of ministers? The Parliamentary Affairs minister told a PAC member from another party to be on his side. In PAC there are no parties. What is this or that side? PAC is above parties and is bipartisan," Joshi said.

Alleging that SP and BSP had changed sides on the 2G spectrum probe, he asked the two parties to clarify why they did so.

"I want to ask SP and BSP to clarify whether they want to stop the probe against corruption to what it to continue? In Uttar Pradesh, they fight against each other and at the Centre they are together. What is the mystery behind it. People want clear answers as to which party is with and which against corruption," Joshi said.

He wondered how SP and BSP had changed their stand on the 2G probe towards the end of the last PAC's term when all along they had supported the probe.

Joshi also said the bank drafts for applying for the 2G license were made a day before the announcement and that too in Mumbai.

PTI