The Congress on Tuesday lashed out at the Comptroller and Auditor General over its handling of the report on the 2G spectrum issue, accusing it of violating canons of Parliamentary propriety.
“The CAG after holding a live press conference on 2G Spectrum issue is now advising MPs not to comment on it because the matter is being considered by PAC. It is an exotic logic that after going live with presumptive losses contained in CAG report in flagrant violation of canons of Parliamentary propriety, now CAG is resorting to argument of propriety,” party spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters here.
He was responding to questions on CAG statement on Monday that it stood by its report on 2G spectrum allocation after Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal contended that the auditor’s projection of Rs 1.76 lakh crore as presumptive loss was “utterly erroneous“.
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The CAG spokesperson had also referred to rules in Parliamentary procedures and practices that prohibit any official, MP or any member of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) from commenting on any subject which is under consideration of the PAC.
“That is why there is no comment from the CAG (on Sibal’s statement)”, the spokesperson had said.
Mr. Tewari said he found nothing wrong in Mr. Sibal’s remarks. “In furtherance of their own mandate that their conclusions should be questioned, the same is being done in public domain,” the Congress spokesperson said.
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“First of all CAG went public with the report, when it should have been tabled on the floor of Parliament and would have automatically gone for the consideration of the PAC.”