BJP keeps away from spectrum JPC

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SME Times News Bureau | 11 Oct, 2012
The BJP Thursday kept away from the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probing the 2G spectrum allocation over panel chief P.C. Chacko's "indecision" on calling as wintesses the prime minister, the finance minister and two former ministers.

BJP sources told agency that The six BJP members in the JPC boycotted the meeting after writing a letter to Chacko on the issue and asking him to take a decision on their demand at the earliest. They want Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and former ministers Dayanidhi Maran and A. Raja to appear before the panel.

The BJP members of the JPC are Yashwant Sinha, Jaswant Singh, Harin Pathak and Gopinath Munde from the Lok Sabha, and Ravi Shankar Prasad and Dharmendra Pradhan from the Rajya Sabha.

Yashwant Sinha told reporters in New Delhi that even after 22 days of the BJP's request for calling the four witnesses, Chacko has not responded to it with a decision.

"There is no reason to attend the JPC meeting till the time the chairman informs us on the final list of witnesses. Even after 22 days of our request, the chairman has been not responded with a decision. He has been dismissing our suggestions," Sinha said.

He also noted that the BJP "wanted the truth to be brought out" and that was the purpose to demand the JPC.

"But the Congress wants to cover up the truth and is trying to waste time," Sinha said, claiming the ruling party wanted to finalise a JPC report without the vital witnesses being questioned.

Another BJP member, Pradhan echoed Sinha's views.

"The Congress does not want the truth to come out or to fight corruption," he added.

The BJP members walked out of the last meeting Sep 18 after Chacko disallowed their request to speak before the panel questioned former finance secretary and present Reserve Bank of India Governor D. Subbarao. They then termed the chairperson "dictatorial".

The JPC meeting Thursday was for recording oral evidence of Planning Commission Secretary Sindhushree Khullar, who is former additional secretary in the department of economic affairs of the finance ministry.