Special session was a trap: BJP
By IANSWednesday, January 5, 2011
KOLKATA - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday called the Congress proposal for a special session of parliament on the 2G spectrum issue a ‘trap’ to divert attention from the opposition demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe.
It also lashed out at the central government’s move to promulgate an ordinance to tackle corruption.
“The proposed ordinance is just an eyewash. It is a diversionary move. It is part of a Congress conspiracy to deviate from the demand of a JPC probe into the 2G-spectrum issue,” BJP MP Chandan Mitra told reporters here.
It was reported last week that the Congress-led central government was planning to bring an ordinance to fight corruption among public servants and politicians, in the wake of several corruption scandals.
When asked about the prospects of a special session, Mitra said it was a trap set by the Congress to stop the opposition from demanding JPC.
“The special session (proposal) was a hoax. It was a trap set by the Congress. As the Congress is having the numbers on its side, it is trying to play this trick which the opposition has rejected,” Mitra said.
He stressed that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance was united in criticising the Congress on the corruption issues and also hoped that the entire opposition including the Left parties would remain together even in the upcoming budget session of the parliament.
The opposition has insisted on its demand for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the 2G scam, but the government has maintained that the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) report on the spectrum allocation to telecom companies in 2008 at below-market prices was being looked into by parliament’s Public Accounts Committee.
When asked about the prospects of the Lokpal Bill, Mitra said the BJP will wholeheartedly support the bill but was sceptical about the Congress’s attitude towards it.
