Mukherjee urges Opposition to end 2G scam stalemate

NEW DELHI - Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday appealed to all political parties to help end the deadlock over the 2G spectrum allocation scam, saying the matter could be looked into by the Public Accounts Committee of the Parliament.

“I am deeply concerned about the situation which is being created where Parliament cannot transact its business. Therefore my appeal to all political parties is that please try to find a solution,” Mukherjee told reporters on the sidelines of a Canara Bank function here today.

“When I oppose JPC, or government opposes JPC, it is not that the matter should not be investigated,” he added, when asked that the position was adamant on its demands for a JPC probe into the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

Pranab Mukherjee further said that the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee could look into the matter, and argued that it was almost a permanent JPC, which is older than the Constitution and headed by a member from the Opposition.

“I will appeal to the members of the Opposition that please do not obstruct proceedings of the House. Accept the proposition that CAG report on 2G will be examined by the PAC. Let them examine it and after that we will see what further course of action is needed,” he said.

Earlier today, both Houses of Parliament were adjourned till Monday as opposition members continued to demand a JPC probe into the 2G scam.

As soon as the Lok Sabha met for the day, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) rushed into well of the house shouting: “We want JPC”.

The Rajya Sabha also witnessed similar scenes.

As soon as the Upper House assembled, Chairman Hamid Ansari took up the Question Hour.

Opposition BJP and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) members rushed to the well of the house, demanding the setting up of a Joint Parliamentary Committee to go into the 2G spectrum issue.

This is the sixth working day in a row that both houses have witnessed pandemonium followed by repeated adjournments.

The 2G spectrum allocation has reportedly caused an alleged loss of Rs1.76 lakh crores to the Government, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has stated in a damning report.

The report further states that former Telecom Minister A. Raja had no apparent logical or valid reasons to ignore the advice of the Law and Finance Ministries while allocating telecom spectrum to several firms in 2007-08. (ANI)