PM’s announcement of JPC tasteless: Jaitley

NEW DELHI - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley Tuesday criticised the prime minister’s announcement of a joint parliamentary committee (JPC), saying it could have been made in a “gracious” manner rather than projecting that the opposition coerced the government into it.

“The statement is disappointing. The issue could be resolved in a more gracious manner,” Jaitley, the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said adding that the content of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement showed that the government had done everything and the joint parliamentary committee was formed only because parliament was paralysed.

Jaitley said the JPC constitution could have been announced “gracefully” instead of the tasteless manner by projecting that the opposition had forced the government to do so.

He was joined in the protest by other BJP members as also from AIADMK.

The government Tuesday gave in to the opposition demand and announced in parliament the formation of a JPC to probe the alleged 2G spectrum scam thus paving the way for a smooth budget session.

Manmohan Singh, who made the statement in both houses of parliament, said the JPC was agreed to by the government as the country could ill-afford disruption of the budget session of parliament.

The entire winter session of parliament was lost over the opposition demand for JPC, which has the powers to summon cabinet ministers and even prime minister to depose before it. The government had not accepted the demand for JPC.

Singh, in his statement on the second day of the budget session, requested Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar to proceed with the setting up of the JPC and assured that a formal motion in this regard would be moved soon. The process of JPC formation is expected to kick-start in a couple of days.