Notwithstanding some of its allies putting pressure, government on Tuesday ruled out a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the 2G spectrum allocation scam even as the issue paralysed Parliament for the 18th working day.
?There is no rethinking on the JPC. JPC is uncalled for. It is only a political handle being used by the opposition. The allies are very much part of the government and we stand united,? Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal told reporters here.
Mr. Bansal said that the allies sentiments have been ?quite eloquently? expressed by NCP chief Sharad Pawar.
His comments came close on the heels of allies emitting different signals on the issue of JPC with Trinamool Congress saying it supported a JPC probe into the matter but would go along with any Government decision on it.
?If the government agrees for a JPC, it is good... but we will support the government in whatever stand it and the Prime Minister take. We believe the Prime Minister is honest,? the party?s Chief Whip in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay told reporters here.
?We want the deadlock in Parliament to end. If JPC is formed, it is good. But we are with the government,? he said.
DMK Parliamentary Party leader T.R. Baalu, whose party is another key ally, left it to the Government to decide whether or not to constitute a JPC. ?We will sail along with the Government,? he said.
DMK MP A. Raja had resigned as Telecom Minister on November 14 after the CAG said in its report that there has been a loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the exchequer as a result of 2G spectrum being allotted at cheap rates.
Scotching speculation about any division in the ruling coalition, Mr. Bansal said ?they are very much part of the government. They said we will stand united with the government. This was eloquently said by Pawar yesterday ? no JPC and no rethinking.?
A senior minister who declined to be identified said that the diverse statements of the allies like the Trinamool Congress on the issue were ?mere posturing? given the fact that they have a domestic constituency to handle ahead of the assembly polls due next year.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had earlier parried questions on whether UPA allies were pressurising the Congress to yield to the Opposition demand for a JPC probe.
?I do not know whether leaders of the Opposition are reconsidering and thinking of allowing the House to function. If they do that we will welcome it,? Mr. Mukherjee said skirting the question.
