Sibal hits back at BJP for rejecting PM’s offer on 2G scam

NEW DELHI - Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology Kapil Sibal on Monday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for rejecting Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s unprecedented offer of appearing before the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in connection with the 2G scam.

“I am surprised at BJP’s intemperate reaction on PM’s offer. I don’t think any Prime Minister in India’s history has been so upfront. The BJP is immodest even in its numerous failures,” Sibal told reporters.

“No Opposition leader should speak with such ignorance. It was not right for the BJP to reject the Prime Minister’s offer. Doesn’t BJP has any faith in the PAC headed by its own leader,” he added.

Earlier today, the BJP accused Dr. Manmohan Singh, of going on the defensive and hiding something, after he offered to appear before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in connection with the 2G scam.

“Prime Minister is hiding something. He is hiding the fact that 2G spectrum scam took place in 2007. For the last three years, the Opposition has been crying that huge sums of money has been lost and benefited private parties. Why he has kept quiet for all these three years,” said senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley

“He (Prime Minister) has been saying that the minister concerned told him that it was a past practice, which is where the whole cover-up took place. The Prime Minister has to answer this not before his auditors, but before the Parliament,” Jaitley added. Refusing to back down from their demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the scam, Jaitley said, ” It is a matter of concern for the nation that a Prime Minister should be pushed to a position where he has to say that I have nothing to hide.”

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said: “”When he (Prime Minister) is ready to come and answer any question before Public Accounts Committee… Why not Joint Parliamentary Committee? JPC is constitutional body. He knows PAC’s role will be limited to a CAG report. What about other issues? “

“Everybody wants a clear and transparent investigation and punishment to the guilty. That’s possible through JPC only,” he added.

Javadekar further said: “We will continue demanding it. It is a parliamentary instrument”

Dr. Manmohan Singh in his speech at the Congress’ 83rd plenary said he was ready to appear before the PAC investigating the 2G scam.

He ruled out the setting up of a JPC to go into the controversy.

“I sincerely believe that like Caesar’s wife, the Prime Minister should be above suspicion. And for this reason, I am prepared to appear before the Public Accounts Committee even though there is no precedent to that effect,” he said.

Rejecting opposition’s demand for a JPC, Dr. Singh said that it is wrong to suggest that the government does not want a JPC because it will have the power to summon him. He said: ” I have nothing to hide.”

He said that he would write to the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee to say I will be happy to appear before it if they ask me to do so, even though there is no precedent to that effect.” (ANI)