NDA worried over Joshi PAC

NEW DELHI: The constituents of the NDA, who are unhappy over the “unilateralism” displayed by Murli Manohar Joshi on the prime minister’s offer to appear before the PAC, have decided to take up the issue with the BJP leadership.

NDA convenor Sharad Yadav is believed to have already shared the disquiet within the alliance over Joshi’s refusal to reject the prime minister’s offer with a senior BJP leader. “The PAC chairman’s decision will blunt the Opposition’s campaign for a JPC probe,” Yadav is learnt to have said.

Meanwhile, leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said her party would insist on a JPC probe into the 2G spectrum scandal. “The scope of PAC is totally different from that of JPC,” she posted on her Twitter account. “While PAC deals with accounts, JPC deals with accountability and governance,” she added.

The prime minister on Monday followed on his assurance at the Congress plenary a week ago, and wrote to Joshi conveying his willingness to appear before the PAC in connection with the 2G spectrum scandal. Responding to the prime minister’s offer, Joshi had said that “an appropriate decision will be taken at an appropriate time depending on the collective wisdom of members”.

Protests by the entire opposition -- the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the Left parties and others -- led to the adjournment of parliament on all days of the winter session, except the inaugural day, November 9. The Opposition is demanding a JPC probe into the 2G scandal.