All-party meet fails to break Parliament impasse

PTI

New Delhi, 16 November 2010: An all-party meeting on Tuesday failed to break the stalemate in Parliament over the demand for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the 2G spectrum issue, leaving no immediate signs for return of normalcy in both Houses that have remained paralysed for four days.

 

All that Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who had convened the meeting, told the leaders was that he would get back to them after taking up the matter with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

 

The meeting, attended by several leaders including Leaders of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, could not make headway with the Opposition remaining adamant on the JPC demand.

 

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal (United), Shiv Sena and Samajwadi Party wanted a JPC and no other opposition party opposed the demand, said Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Ajit Singh, who sought setting up of an Inquiry Commission.

 

Mr. Singh said the government insisted that the Public Accounts Committee could do a great job in finding out the truth in the matter and the JPC will be out of place in this issue.

 

Mr. Mukherjee, who is the Leader of the Lok Sabha, convened the meeting as government’s hopes of normalcy returning to Parliament after the resignation of Telecom Minister A. Raja proved futile and the Opposition remained belligerent on the JPC demand.

 

Trinamool Congress, the second largest ally of the Congress in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), however, suggested a discussion in the House and said that if majority wanted JPC, it should be constituted.

 

Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK), whose member A. Raja had to quit as Telecom Minister over the 2G issue, said it would go by the government’s decision in the matter. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said JPC would not serve the purpose.

 

“No solution on JPC,” said Mr. Mukherjee after the meeting. “We want the House to run. We do not want disruptions. We are not averse to JPC,” said Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) as also D. Raja (CPI).

 

Mr. Raja and Mr. Yechury said that though they were willing to consider any other “credible form” of inquiry, they felt that the PAC would not serve the purpose. They threw the ball in the government’s court on breaking the impasse.

 

The government, however, said the Opposition appeared confused on the issue of JPC and it was not clear whether to have one or three JPCs to probe the Adarsh Housing Scam, Commonwealth Games corruption and 2G Spectrum allocation.

 

In the meeting, Mr. Mukherjee appealed to the Opposition to get back to business saying that so many days have already been wasted due to disruptions.