The government is understood to have left it to the Central Bureau of Investigation and Joint Parliamentary Committee to look into the alleged irregularities in the grant of licences to Aircel, which is owned by Maxis Telecom of Malaysia, and the involvement of former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran in it.
In an exclusive interview with Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt, BJP MP Harin Pathak, a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee probing the 2G scam, says without mincing words that panel chief P C Chacko cannot decide exclusively whether to summon prime accused former Union Telecom Minister A Raja or not.
Former Union Telecom Minister A Raja has rejected Joint Parliamentary Committee chairman P C Chacko's offer giving him a chance to respond on the 2G spectrum allocation issue in written submissions, saying he wants to personally depose before the panel to tender evidence on the matter.
Former telecom minister A Raja, who is an accused in the 2G spectrum scam, has sought Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar's permission to depose before the Joint Parliamentary Committee, probing the case, and render his side of the argument.
The Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the 2G scam has sought a copy of the Presidential Reference made by the Centre before the Supreme Court on its February 2 decision on allocation of second generation radiowaves.
A senior non-Congress MP, while briefing about their focus in the JPC on the 2G spectrum scam, said, "This JPC is very important. We understand the issue and we will fight tooth and nail to corner the government. My question is: can you sell petrol, milk or even vegetables in 2009 at the price of 2002? This government did it in the name of continuation of NDA's policy. How can you sell a new product at the price of an old product, at old rates?"
Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan was named a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee into the 2G spectrum scam after her colleague Abhishek Singhvi recused himself taking the plea that he had appeared for cellular operators in the court as a senior advocate.
With the government moving a resolution in the Lok Sabha to set up a Joint Parliamentary Committee on the 2G spectrum issue, the battle lines between the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance and the Bharatiya Janata Party have become more tightly drawn with the Congress preparing its ammunition to target the BJP during its National Democratic Alliance government, in a bid to expose the actions of their telecom ministers.
The government on Tuesday conceded the opposition demand for having 30 members in the Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe the 2G spectrum issue, giving up its earlier plan for a 21-member panel to accommodate smaller parties like All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, sources said.
The National Democratic Alliance on Monday said it will allow the Parliament to function if formation of Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe the 2G spectrum allocation scam is announced by the government on Tuesday, but would continue to raise irregularities in the Commonwealth Games-related projects and Adarsh Housing scam.
Amid indications that the government might agree to a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe in the 2G spectrum scam, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday said bunglings in Commonwealth Games projects and Mumbai's Adarsh Housing Society too should be brought under the panel's ambit.
With the government inches closer to the setting up of a Joint Parliamentary Committee after the Congress party reportedly took a decision that enough damage had been done by Parliament being stalled and a signal filtering across that the government had something to hide, sources said that the modalities of how this has to be done are still to be worked out.
The all-party meet called by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to resolve the deadlock in the Parliament ahead of the Budget session ended inconclusively on Tuesday with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Opposition sticking to their demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the 2G scam.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday stuck to its demand for a joint parliamentary committee probe into the 2G spectrum allocation, saying the arrest of former Union Telecom Minister A Raja was not enough and his "godfathers" should be exposed.
Ahead of Tuesday's meeting with Opposition parties convened by the government, Congress on Friday appeared to have softened its stand on the joint parliamentary committee probe issue in a bid to break the deadlock in Parliament on the 2G spectrum allocation scam."We are open to discussing such a resolution in Parliament on the JPC issue," Congress spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan said, noting that she was seeking cooperation of the Opposition to ensure a smooth budget session.
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Jayalalithaa on Thursday said nothing short of a joint parliamentary committee probe into the 2G spectrum scam was acceptable to her party. She claimed that former telecom minister A Raja's arrest showed that those backing him have now 'accepted his guilt'. "These parties had initially said Raja was not guilty. But they have now accepted his guilt, following his arrest," she told reporters.
Senior NDA leaders held a press conference on Tuesday to present the report of a task force appointed by BJP to look into the issue of Indian black money stashed abroad and ways of dealing with the issue.
Ahead of the budget session, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Wednesday expressed readiness to explore "all possible approaches" to end the deadlock in Parliament on the issue of a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into 2G spectrum scam.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was aware of the contents of the controversial 2G note which was issued as an office memorandum at the insistence of the Prime Minister's Office, a top official told the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Thursday.
The year saw reform legislations stuck in the logjam between the government and the Opposition over constitution of a Joint Parliamentary Committee to look into the Rs 1.76- lakh crore (Rs 1.76 trillion) 2G scam.
After the shattering defeat in the general elections last year, the Bharatiya Janata Party appeared to have found its feet in 2010, putting behind internal bickerings and getting its act right in Parliament, but problems with its government in Karnataka stuck out like a sore thumb.
The credibility of the examination system has also come under question, they said.
Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on 2G scam P C Chacko on Wednesday ruled out summoning Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to depose before the panel, saying there was no such precedent.
With government appearing not keen on bringing Central Bureau of Investigation under Lokpal, Team Anna on Tuesday raised the pitch over the proposed legislation alleging that the UPA was making a fool of the whole country as it was not letting control over the investigative agency go.
Terming as "unprecedented" the washout of Parliament's winter session, the Bharatiy Janata Party on Tuesday blamed the Congress for the stalemate over Joint Parliamentary Committee demand to probe the 2G spectrum scam but said that the opposition protest was not aimed at overthrowing the government.
The impasse over the demand for a joint parliamentary committee probe into 2G spectrum allocation disrupted the Question Hour in Parliament for the 22nd day on Monday as both government and the opposition stuck to their positions.
Railway Minister and key United Progressive Alliance partner Mamata Banerjee ruled out any difference with the Union government over a Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe the 2G spectrum allocation, even as she advocated a discussion on the scam in Parliament.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani said on Thursday that he will launch a "crusade" to mobilise public opinion against corruption on behalf of the National Democratic Alliance. He urged all other political parties, which are united in their demand for the joint parliamentary committee probe in the 2G Spectrum scam, to join hands with him.
The tug-of-war between government and the Opposition over a joint parliamentary committee probe into the 2G spectrum case showed no sign of ending on Tuesday, with Parliament adjourning for the day due to protests from opposition parties. The Opposition protests in the Lok Sabha, however, appeared to be losing steam, as decibel levels remained considerably low compared to the previous week.
Asserting that the Bharatiya Janata Party would continue to insist on a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the 2G spectrum allocation issue, senior party leader M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said it is the government's responsibility to resolve the stalemate in Parliament.
The standoff in Parliament over a joint Parliamentary probe into the alleged irregularities in the 2G spectrum allocation continued on Tuesday with the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha adjourning till noon, following uproar by the opposition parties.
Both the Houses of Parliament were adjourned till noon on Monday following uproar over various charges of corruption by members of the Opposition and Treasury benches.As soon as Speaker Meira Kumar read out obituary references in the Lok Sabha, Opposition members trooped into the well, to demand a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe in the alleged irregularities in 2G spectrum allocation.Congress members were also seen in the aisles waving placards.
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is likely to meet the leaders of the opposition parties again on Monday morning in his bid to break the impasse between the government and the opposition parties that has disrupted functioning of both houses of Parliament since the session began on November 9.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday hit out at Opposition parties for stalling the proceedings of Parliament, after their demand for a probe by the Joint Parliamentary Committee into the spectrum scandal was not accepted by the government.Reacting to a question on whether Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would make a statement on the resignation of Telecom Minister A Raja over the 2G spectrum scam, Pranab lost his cool.
A united opposition on Monday forced adjournment of the Question Hour in both Houses of Parliament, demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the alleged irregularities in the 2G spectrum allocation.As soon as the House met, Bharatiya Janata Party members stormed the well, chanting . 'We want JPC'. They were joined by members of the Shiv Sena and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
Bharatiya Janata Party-led opposition on Wednesday created uproar in the Lok Sabha over their demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the 2G Spectrum allocation, Adarsh Housing Society and CWG scams, leading to adjournment of Parliament for the day.
Nitin Gadkari, president of Bharatiya Janata Party, has charged the Manmohan Singh government of looking the other way while officials and others associated with organizing Commonwealth Games were making money.
A united opposition is all set to corner the government in Parliament today on the banning of old notes.
The Joint Parliamentary Committee on 2G spectrum scam has deferred its October 3 meeting, in view of the Lok Sabha Speaker's efforts to persuade Bharatiya Janata Party, members who have threatened to quit the panel alleging bias on his part, its chairman P C Chacko said on Saturday.
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