Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and Communications Minister Kapil Sibal were one in saying “the draft report of the Public Accounts Committee on the 2G matter stands rejected.” For, a clear majority on the PAC — 11 of 21 — had in writing said the report was rejected by them.
Meeting journalists by chance in the corridors of Parliament House, Mr. Sibal said: “There is no PAC report now, only a Joshi report, which has become a ‘doshi' [faulty] report.”
He said; “By a clear majority, 11 of 21 members, the so-called draft report of the Chairman has been rejected. After this, there is no PAC report on 2G. Any report has to reflect the majority or consensus view. That is the essence of democracy.”
It was also pointed out that since PAC Chairman Murli Manohar Joshi had walked away without explaining why he was rejecting the demand for a vote, other members were well within their right “to complete the democratic process that had started with the moving of a resolution that the report be rejected.”
Navin Jindal, a Congress MP, said it would be blatantly wrong if Dr. Joshi were to submit the report to the Speaker as only an adopted report could be presented. “It has to represent either a consensus or at least the majority view.”
Mr. Tiruchi Siva confirmed that he moved the resolution for rejection of the report after Mr. Saifuddin Soz was elected to take the chair for that session since the Chairman had simply “walked away.”
Mr. Bansal did not deny reports that he had gone to meet the Samajwadi Party member on the PAC, Reoti Raman Singh, “who often calls me for a cup of tea.” He said there was nothing wrong or unethical about that.
