BJP MPs abstain from proceedings of JPC on 2G

Demand for calling Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram as witnesses

PTI | October 18, 2012



Amid demands for calling Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram as witnesses before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on 2G, BJP members in the panel on Thursday once again abstained from its proceedings.

During the last meeting of JPC on October 11, the BJP members had stayed away while accusing JPC Chairman P Chacko of failing to finalise the list of witnesses and include the Prime Minister and Chidambaram in it.

BJP has six members in JPC.

In July and September, BJP members had stormed out of the meeting accusing Chacko of being "biased" and accused Congress members of using foul language against them.

BJP Leader Yashwant Sinha, who is a member of JPC, had dashed off a letter to Chacko earlier this week saying that the body is of a "special nature" and, hence, a precedent can be set by calling the Prime Minister.

He had maintained the Prime Minister was directly involved in certain decisions on 2G spectrum allocation and "he and he alone" can answer some of the questions related it.

Sinha had also said the Prime Minister had offered to present himself before Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on the same issue and, therefore, he should not have any objection to facing JPC.

BJP has clearly told Chacko that it will not attend the JPC meetings till the list of witnesses is finalised and the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister are summoned.

Chacko had earlier sought directions from the Speaker on the issue of summoning Chidambaram, but the Speaker had informed Chacko that the Committee has to first take a decision on the issue before approaching her and it was, therefore, "premature to intervene at this stage".

Comments

 

Other News

Development paradox: Falling poverty miracle and an inequality problem

India’s reduction in poverty over the past decade is a development achievement of considerable significance. The World Bank’s April 2026 ‘India Development Update’ estimates that the share of Indians living below the international extreme-poverty line of $3.00 per person per day i

In Arunachal, a river we call mother

In Arunachal Pradesh, the Siang is not just a river. For many of us, especially the Adi people, it is part of our family. Our grandparents fished in it. Children learned to swim in it. Our farms drink from it. When someone says a huge dam will be built on it, we do not hear the word "project".

A new retelling of the Mahabharata delves into key moments

In a time when every decision carries consequences and questions of ambition, power, loyalty, identity and moral choice continue to shape our lives, Dr. Arun Krishnan’s new book, ‘Mahakshana’ (Penguin India) offers a strikingly relevant retelling of the Mahabharata.  

Cabinet approves viability gap funding to develop grid-scale energy storage systems

The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, has approved the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme for Development of Grid-Scale Energy Storage Systems, with a total financial support of Rs.14,500 crore for the period FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31. The scheme aims to support the development o

Cabinet creates a pathway to absorb Agniveers in Defence Forces

An objective assessment in terms of organisational requirements and operational efficiency has brought out the outstanding performance of Agniveers in terms of skills, motivation levels, physical fitness and technological prowess. As envisaged earlier, based on merit, 25% of Agniveers will be offered reg

Modi inaugurates, lays foundation stone of Pune Metro projects

Prime minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for Pune Metro projects worth around ₹21,800 crore on Tuesday through video conferencing. Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the PM extended warm Diwali greetings to the people of Pune and Maharashtra and remarked that f

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter