Accusing the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government of being “headstrong” and “unresponsive” to the demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the 2G spectrum scam, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader M. Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday asked why the Congress was silent on the ruling of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) in the Bofors case.
“Why is the Congress silent on the ITAT order on [Ottavio] Quattrocchi, [in a case] which has shaken the nation? The ITAT has said that Rs.41 crore was received [by the late Win Chadha] and that taxes have to be paid,” Mr. Naidu told a press conference here.
‘Congress losing face'
In the wake of a slew of scams, he said the Congress was losing face among the people. “A certain amount of uncertainty has crept in.”
Mr. Naidu also questioned Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's “silence” on the allocation of 2G spectrum. “What prevented you from taking action when the Telecom Minister was going against the rules? Why did you not order that the issue be taken up in the Cabinet?”
Mr. Naidu said it was unusual for a Prime Minister to write to a Minister when it was usually the other way around.
He asked the government what its objection to a JPC was. “Is it against the Constitution, against the rules of Parliament? Is it against the tradition or precedents of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha? When Dr. Singh, Sonia Gandhi and Pranab Mukherjee have stalled Parliament demanding a JPC, how is it that what was right then can now be wrong?” he said.
Mr. Naidu added that if the Centre agreed to a JPC, the BJP-ruled Karnataka government would agree to conduct a Joint Legislative Committee (JLC) probe into the allegations of corruption against Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa.
