Ruckus in LS over JPC report on 2G

The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) report on 2G spectrum allocation was tabled in the Lok Sabha (LS) on Monday with political parties questioning the Speaker’s decision against allowing a discussion on the findings which some MPs  dubbed “fraud” and “fabricated”.

As JPC Chairman P C Chacko tabled the report in the Lok Sabha, MPs from the BJP, Left parties, Biju Janata Dal, Trinamool Congress and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) were on their feet demanding a discussion. DMK leader T R Balu, who led other MPs into the Well, was heard shouting “discuss the report now”.

Earlier, Speaker Meira Kumar turned down the demand for a discussion saying there was no provision that allowed a discussion. This led to a huge uproar in the House with the DMK walking out only to return after the report was tabled.

To display his anger, one of the DMK members tore a piece of paper and threw it into the Well of the House forcing an adjournment.

 “This is a perverse and fraud report and cannot be considered to be a JPC report,” Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Gurudas Dasgupta said outside Parliament with BJP leader Yashwant Sinha standing beside him.

Both leaders were critical of the speaker’s move of disallowing discussion on the report during Zero Hour. 

The CPI member had written to Kumar seeking allotment of time for discussion on the report which has courted controversy ever since Chacko did not allow the opposition demand for summoning Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram. 

Singh has been given a clean chit on the grounds that he was “misled” by the then telecom minister A Raja into giving nod for licensing. 

“The report is a fraud as it does not take into account the role of the finance minister and others. It has found only one villain, that is Raja. The prime minister knew what is happening despite that the JPC did not take it into account,” Dasgupta said.

Sinha was of the view that the tabling of the report was “unprecedented” and in violation of rules and norms of the House.

Sinha said: “We did not want the fabricated JPC report. Despite our protest the speaker was unmoved. It is very saddening. Because it is a commentary on the way and the manner in which our Parliament is functioning. It is a very sad day for our Parliamentary democracy and we strongly protest what has happened in the House.”

The Speaker should have allowed points of order to be raised, agreed BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi. Dasgupta said that he disapproved “the behaviour of the speaker for turning down our notices”.

The JPC report also rubbishes the Comptroller and Auditor General’s estimate that the loss incurred was around Rs 1.76 lakh-crore, while writing off the irregularities in the spectrum allotment as just “ill-conceived”.