2G scam: 11 MPs reject report; PAC meet ends in pandemonium
- 5 years ago
Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) descended into chaos on Thursday after the UPA managed to secure the support of BSP and SP to obtain a surprising majority which 'rejected' the draft report on the 2G scam that was sharply critical of Prime Minister, his office and others.
In unprecedented scenes at a stormy meeting of the committee, the ruling coalition MPs (7 Congress, 2 DMK), aided by SP and BSP, 'elected' Congress member Saifuddin Soz as chairman who put the resolution for rejection of the report to vote.
The 'election' took place once chairman of the 21-member committee and veteran BJP leader MM Joshi had left the meeting after Soz moved a resolution seeking a vote on the adoption of the draft report.
In the 'vote' that took place after the nine members belonging to opposition parties (BJP, JD(U), BJD and AIDMK) had left, 11 members rejected the report, Soz claimed.
"I will now present the whole proceedings to the Speaker for her decision," he told reporters. Soz said in a democracy when situations are created then such things (election) happen.
A Congress MP V Arun Kumar said the election of Soz was for this meeting, which was the second session of the proceedings convened by Joshi to discuss the draft report.
In more drama, Soz later went to Joshi's office and handed over the 'resolution' rejecting the report to his staff. He said he would apprise the Speaker of the developments in the meeting.
Joshi himself told reporters after adjourning the meeting that the ruling side members said that the draft report was 'outsourced'.
"I wanted to say something but they did not allow me. So I adjourned the meeting," he said.
However, Congress members claimed that Joshi was not prepared to listen to them and 'ran away'. Another opposition MP said the Congress MPs demanded that Joshi resign and did not allow him to conduct the meeting.
Seven Congress MPs, supported by two from DMK, attacked Joshi over leakage of the report prepared by him which had made headlines.
The draft report had criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh personally for his 'desire' to keep the PMO at 'arm's length' on the issue of 2G allocation that allowed the then telecom minister A. Raja to execute his 'dubious designs' and was also critical of the then finance minister P. Chidambaram and officials of the PMO with regard to handling the scam.
For over three hours, these MPs sought to put the chairman on the mat, accusing him of presenting a 'one-sided' report with 'malafide' intention and demanded his resignation.
-- With inputs from PTI
In unprecedented scenes at a stormy meeting of the committee, the ruling coalition MPs (7 Congress, 2 DMK), aided by SP and BSP, 'elected' Congress member Saifuddin Soz as chairman who put the resolution for rejection of the report to vote.
The 'election' took place once chairman of the 21-member committee and veteran BJP leader MM Joshi had left the meeting after Soz moved a resolution seeking a vote on the adoption of the draft report.
In the 'vote' that took place after the nine members belonging to opposition parties (BJP, JD(U), BJD and AIDMK) had left, 11 members rejected the report, Soz claimed.
"I will now present the whole proceedings to the Speaker for her decision," he told reporters. Soz said in a democracy when situations are created then such things (election) happen.
A Congress MP V Arun Kumar said the election of Soz was for this meeting, which was the second session of the proceedings convened by Joshi to discuss the draft report.
In more drama, Soz later went to Joshi's office and handed over the 'resolution' rejecting the report to his staff. He said he would apprise the Speaker of the developments in the meeting.
Joshi himself told reporters after adjourning the meeting that the ruling side members said that the draft report was 'outsourced'.
"I wanted to say something but they did not allow me. So I adjourned the meeting," he said.
However, Congress members claimed that Joshi was not prepared to listen to them and 'ran away'. Another opposition MP said the Congress MPs demanded that Joshi resign and did not allow him to conduct the meeting.
Seven Congress MPs, supported by two from DMK, attacked Joshi over leakage of the report prepared by him which had made headlines.
The draft report had criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh personally for his 'desire' to keep the PMO at 'arm's length' on the issue of 2G allocation that allowed the then telecom minister A. Raja to execute his 'dubious designs' and was also critical of the then finance minister P. Chidambaram and officials of the PMO with regard to handling the scam.
For over three hours, these MPs sought to put the chairman on the mat, accusing him of presenting a 'one-sided' report with 'malafide' intention and demanded his resignation.
-- With inputs from PTI