BJP welcomes PM’s announcement on JPC

NEW DELHI - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday welcomed Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s announcement on agreeing to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the 2G spectrum scam.

Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj thanked the Prime Minister for the announcement, describing it as a victory for democracy.

“We should not see this as a victory or defeat. This is a victory of democracy. We should all work together putting aside any talk of victory or defeat,” she said.

“It is the beauty of Indian democracy, that even in the difficult circumstances, we sit down and find the way. This time, it took some more time,” she added.

Besides the Prime Minister, Swaraj also thanked Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal.

Making the announcement in Lok Sabha as soon as it met for the first working day of the session, Dr. Singh said: “The Winter Session was lost and the country cannot afford to lose another session. Our Government is committed to root out corruption.”

“The Government is fully cooperating with the investigations into the 2G scam. The Government also agrees to setting up of JPC,” he added.

He said a formal motion for constitution of the Joint Parliamentary Committee would be moved soon.

Asserting that his government was committed to rooting out corruption, Dr Singh said “all effective steps” were taken to convince the opposition in this regard.

“We can ill afford a situation where Parliament is not allowed to function during the crucial Budget session. It is in these special circumstances that our government agrees to the setting up of a JPC,” he added.

During the Winter Session, the government’s no to a JPC inquiry into the 2G scam led to a complete paralysis of Parliament with less than ten hours of business being conducted.

Former Telecom Minister A Raja, his personal secretary RK Chandolia, former telecom secretary Siddharth Behuria and managing director of DB Realty Shahid Balwa have been so far arrested in 2G scam over their alleged roles

Raja was forced to resign from the Union Cabinet last year after the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) faulted him for undervaluing spectrum to favour companies who were largely ineligible for 2G spectrum, and added that the government had probably lost Rs.1.76 lakh crore in estimated revenue. (ANI)