Parliament cannot probe spectrum issue, says Bansal

CHANDIGARH - Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal Saturday said that parliament was not the right institution to probe the second generation mobile telephony spectrum allocation issue.

“We do not want any JPC (joint parliamentary committee) as it will not represent all parties in parliament. It cannot probe any scam. There are government agencies like the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) and Income Tax department to investigate but parliament cannot do it,” he told reporters at his residence here.

He said that there was no need to adjourn the winter session of parliament before its scheduled time because of the logjam over the opposition’s demand for setting up a JPC to look into the spectrum allocation matter.

The opposition’s demand for a joint parliamentary committee is only a political battle and there is no need to accept it. They want to have a political weapon in their hands, which we will not allow,” Bansal said.

The opposition wants to paralyse parliament. They do not want the government to take decisions and implement its policies, he added.

Bansal said that the government was ready to give time to opposition to discuss the spectrum issue in the house if they allow parliament to function.

“We are ready to give time for discussion to the opposition on the spectrum issue, but they should first let parliament function,” he said.

He said that parliament’s winter session would continue till Dec 13 and it would not be suspended in the wake of the logjam.