PM, FM must appear before JPC on 2G for the truth to come out: Yashwant Sinha

PM, FM must appear before JPC on 2G for the truth to come out: Yashwant Sinha
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Describing the functioning of the JPC on 2G scam as 'scandalous', BJP leader YashwantA Sinha on Tuesday demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh...

Describing the functioning of the JPC on 2G scam as 'scandalous', BJP leader YashwantA Sinha on Tuesday demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram appear before it for the truth to come out. Sinha, who is also a member of the JPC, has raised serious objections over not convening of the panel meeting for two months now and demanded that then Telecom Minister A. Raja, who has been wanting to appear before the JPC, be allowed to do so as he is a key witness in the scam. The BJP member had on Monday written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking him to appear before the committee to 'clear' his name following allegations levelled against him by Raja. He said any hesitation on the Prime Minister's part to appear before JPC will prove that he has 'something to hide'. "The way in which the JPC proceedings are being conducted by its chairman is scandalous to the extreme. For over two months the meeting of the JPC has not been called and various members including me have been demanding convening of JPC meeting ,"A SinhaA said. The NDA's former Finance Minister feared, "We will not be able to arrive at the truth and the whole effort will be wasted in concealing the truth." SinhaA said Raja has cast serious aspersions on the conduct of the Prime Minister, Chidambaram and on the evidence presented before the JPC by Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati. The BJP member said, "If Raja presents his side of the story then the Prime Minister and Finance Minister will be in serious trouble and to save them from this situation the JPC Chairman is not calling Raja. I have written to the Prime Minister that he should appear before the JPC so that the truth comes out." Reacting onA Sinha's remarks, JPC chief P.C. Chacko said, "Yashwant Sinha's letter to PM a political stunt and against norms." Information anf Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said it would be more appropriate ifA Sinha, being a JPC member, speaks within the confines of the Committee. Tewari saidA Sinha's demand which was raised in the JPC and rejected by the Committee sounds 'completely preposterous'. SinhaA has also written to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, saying 'the dignity, honour and effectiveness of the Parliamentary institutions are at stake in this and in a way the standing of the whole Parliament of India'. The BJP leader also took a dig at Prime Minister's earlier offer to appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). "He is doing it because he knew under the rules, the PAC cannot call political persons. The PAC rules prohibits PAC from calling political persons. So he knew PAC had no authority to call him. The JPC, on the other hand, has the authority to call political persons and therefore he is not making that offer," he said. "I think it is in your own personal interest to appear before the JPC and clear your name. You may also suggest to the Finance Minister to make a similar offer,"A SinhaA wrote to PM. Justifying his demand for calling the Prime Minister, Finance Minister and Raja before the panel,A SinhaA said the JPC is not meant to prosecute people or convict them but to fix political responsibility which would not be achieved if political persons were not called before it. "The JPC is not meant to prosecute people, not to convict them and not to hand out sentences. The JPC's main purpose is to fix political responsibility and comment on the officials' conduct. If we don't call political persons, then how do we fix responsibility on them. The Executive is accountable to Parliament and it is under that rule that a Joint Parliamentary Committee has been constituted," he said. SinhaA also cited instances of previous JPCs like the one into the stockmarkets scam in 1992 and 2001 when the Finance Ministers and other Ministers had been called before them. On the demand for calling the Prime Minister to depose before the JPC, Tewari said the Opposition sometimes makes demands which are "outlandish". He said the JPC is in the process of writing its report and putting such a demand is like 'putting the cart before the house'. Tewari, who is also a member of the JPC on 2G spectrum allocation, said it is the job of the Opposition "to swing from the sublime to the ridiculous at times". The Union Minister said he did not expect Sinha to do something that "sounds completely preposterous". Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi said the Prime Minister has nothing to do with the JPC. He said though it would not be proper to make a comment or interfere in the JPC functioning, the panel as per its rules will itself decide on whom to call or not. "It will take a decision of its own," he said, adding, "what has the Prime Minister to do with JPC?"
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