2G:BJP submits dissent note,alleges report made by govt people

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Oct 10 2013 | 6:11 PM IST
Submitting a dissent note against the JPC report on 2G spectrum, BJP today said it was flawed and a bundle of contradictions drafted by people in the government on the directions of the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister as a "cover up" exercise.
BJP MPs Yashwant Sinha, Jaswant Singh, Gopinath Munde, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Harin Pathak and Dharmendra Pradhan filed the dissent note to the JPC secretariat today.
"The Prime Minister, the Prime Minister's Office, the Finance Ministry, and DoT and its officials- all of them had a hand in preparing the report and in covering up the whole thing," Sinha told reporters.
The BJP members alleged that the government "completely controlled" JPC Chairperson P C Chacko and he worked according to their directions.
"This entire game has been played by the Government of India. This has been done by the Prime Minister, Finance Minister and DoT (Telecom) Minister, who still holds the portfolio," Sinha alleged.
However, Chacko dismissed the charge and said that it showed BJP's desperation.
"The JPC report was drafted by my secretariat and under my directions. The charge of Yashwant Sinha and company shows their desperation. It is completely political," he said.
The BJP leaders maintained that they were going against convention and discussing the report with the media even before it has been made public as "Chacko himself has violated all rules".
The six MPs also wrote a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, alleging that Chacko had acted in an "arbitrary and authoritarian manner" during JPC meetings.
"We apprehend that the Chairman may edit and mutilate our Note of Dissent. We are therefore constrained to send a copy of our dissent," they said in their letter.
The main opposition insisted that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and then Finance Minister P Chidambaram should have been asked to depose before the JPC. They regretted that even though the main accused, A Raja, had made several offers to depose before the panel, he was not allowed to do so.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Oct 10 2013 | 6:11 PM IST

Next Story