Cong flays BJP for objecting to 2G probe announcement

NEW DELHI: Terming BJP's objection to the announcement of a probe in the 2G spectrum case outside Parliament as "black humour", Congress today said the party was responsible for it as it has not allowed the House to function for the last 20 days.

"BJP seems to have become a specialist in black humour. These people are talking about the propriety of Parliament when they have not allowed it to function for the last 20 days," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters here.

He was asked to comment on BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi's statement that the general practice was not to make any policy announcement outside the House when Parliament is in session and the Telecom Minister's step was highly objectionable and may invite privilege.

Tewari said when Parliament was not allowed to function for the last 20 days by the opposition, then "where is Kapil Sibal going to announce the formation of the inquiry committee."

Sibal had yesterday announced appointment of a one-man committee of retired Supreme Court Justice Shivaraj V Patil to probe the alleged irregularities in the allocation of 2G spectrum since 2001, a period involving the NDA regime.

Asking the opposition parties to "introspect" their stand on the 2G Spectrum allocation issue, Tewari alleged, "They are taking Rs 2000 for two minutes of slogan-raising in Parliament."

On the opposition parties' allegation that Government was trying to hide the documents related to emergency rule of the 70s, he said such charges were "ridiculous" as post emergency there have been various non-Congress governments at the Centre.