NCP joins Opp demand to let Raja depose as witness before JPC

In an embarrassment to Congress, UPA ally NCP has broken ranks with it by supporting the opposition's demand to call former Telecom Minister A Raja as a witness before the Joint Parliamentary Committee on 2G spectrum scam.
The sole NCP representative in the JPC, Y P Trivedi, has written to panel chief P C Chacko demanding that Raja be given a chance to present his case, sources in the panel said today.
While Congress has persistently stonewalled Raja's repeated requests to depose before the JPC, his party DMK, BJP, the Left and others, including UPA's outside supporter Samajwadi Party, have been demanding his deposition.

They have maintained that it is only fair that the principal accused in the draft report is given a chance to present his case.
It is learnt that Trivedi had on an earlier occasion also demanded calling Raja as a witness. Chacko had informed him that since Raja has already made his case before the committee through a written submission, there was no need to call him personally.
In the light of fresh development, the September 27 meeting is set to be stormy as it has to adopt the controversial draft report which gave a clean chit to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram, but had indicted former Telecom Minister A Raja for the 2G scam.

Battle lines have been drawn for the meeting as BJP and Left members are all set to oppose the draft report by either giving strong notes of dissent or demanding a vote.

The JPC has 20 members from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha. It has 12 members of the ruling UPA -- Congress (11) and NCP (1). Among its outside allies, SP has one member and BSP two.
Opposition camp has BJP (6), BJD (1), TMC (1), CPI (1), CPI-M (1), DMK (1) and AIADMK (1). JD(U), which recently split with BJP, has two members and the party's stand will be crucial.

Besides, there is one nominated member from the Rajya Sabha.