PC Chacko puts off Joint Parliamentary Meeting meeting

NEW DELHI: The meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on 2G scam scheduled for Monday has been postponed to “facilitate some members to attend the National Integration Council (NIC) meeting” on the same day to discuss the communal flare-up in Muzaffarnagar.

“Since the NIC meeting too is now scheduled to take place on Monday, there has been request from among the JPC members to postpone the meeting. After talking to some members, I have decided to postpone Monday’s meeting,” JPC chairman PC Chacko said on Friday. The Congress-led ruling United Progressive Alliance was expected to push for adoption of the contentious draft report that gives a clean chit to the prime minister and the finance minister while blaming the former telecom minister A Raja for the 2G scam.

Of the JPC’s 30 members, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury is also a member of the NIC. Given the sharp divide in the committee over the adoption of the draft report, none of the JPC members would want to miss the meeting since every head would count in the event of voting.

The UPA recently managed to get an edge in the committee by inducting two friendly members while filling two vacancies, with some tactical help from the DMK that conspicuously gave up one of its berths. The DMK has since sought to give an impression of distancing itself from the Congress by demanding more meetings of the JPC before the draft report is adopted.

While the ruling coalition has 13 members in the committee, the two members each of the BSP and the JD (U) are not expected to vote against the UPA.