BJP, AIADMK protest manner in which vacancies filled in JPC

They said that the government was setting a bad precedent

Opposition BJP and AIADMK today lodged strong protest over the manner in which two vacancies in the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on 2G spectrum scam were filled, saying government was setting a bad precedent.

Raising the issue soon after Rajya Sabha mourned the death of its former member Dharma Chander Prashant, Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley said JPC members have as per precedent been elected on relative strength of political parties.

"That has been given a go-by," he said referring the House yesterday passing a resolution amid din for appointment of P Bhattacharya (Cong) and Ashok S Ganguly (Nom) to the JPC.

He asked Chairman Hamid Ansari to give a ruling if such an election was correct.

"This is not the way Parliamentary Committees or their vacancies are filled," Jaitley said.

Satyavrat Chaturvedi (Cong) said he agreed with Jaitley's contention that parties must get proportionate representation on parliamentary committees.

The vacancies on JPC were caused by retirement of Tiruchi Siva (DMK) and resignation EMS Natchiappan (Cong) on becoming a minister.

Both the seats were with the UPA and have thus been filed, Chaturvedi said, adding it would have been a wrong precedent if the ruling party had wrested the seats held by the opposition.

In the present case, the two seats were with UPA and so new members have been nominated by them through a sense of House resolution, he added.

Opposition members rejected Chaturvedi's contention with V Maitreyan (AIAMDK) saying one of the members who resigned from JPC had given a dissent note in the report.

Ansari said he has got a letter from Jaitley on the issue last evening and said "I shall be replying to it."