PAC may question Congress

NEW DELHI: Congress' rhetorical onslaught against Public Accounts Committee ( PAC) Chairman Murli Manohar Joshi and its charge that the body was overstepping its brief in the 2G spectrum allocation investigation has pushed the ruling side into a difficult corner with members of the panel seeking action against the party.

Yashwant Sinha, who raised the issue at the PAC meeting said the statement of Congress spokesman Manish Tewari amounted to an attack on a constitutional body. Sinha's argument that the panel should not countenance the attack on the mandate of the panel was backed by NK Singh and Bhartruhari Mahtab. They said that members of a parliamentary panel did not function as party members. Congress' KS Rao tried to counter the argument saying it was a comment made outside the committee, to which Mahtab said that Tewari referred to the PAC Chairman. The panel is likely to seek an explanation from Tewari, sources said.

"The panel has taken serious note of the comment. It was of the view that the veracity of the statement should be ascertained and thereafter the committee has authorised me to take appropriate steps," Joshi told reporters at a press conference. He is expected to take up the issue with Speaker Meira Kumar.

That both sides of the aisle are determined to convert the 2G probe to score political points was clear on Monday when JPC chairman PC Chacko attacked the BJP saying if former ministers like Yashwant Sinha and Jaswant Singh were allowed to continue, he would be forced to ask them to keep off the meeting.

Chacko told reporters in Thrissur that he had communicated this to the Speaker and a final decision was left to her. Chacko even asked the PAC to back off from the spectrum probe suo motu.

When asked about Chacko's comments, Joshi said the committee was not aware of it. "We have come to know of it from you," he told reporters.

The JPC-PAC debate came up at the PAC's meeting on Monday.