JPC: Why govt doesnt want to give in

With Assembly polls in 4 states next year,Cong wary of giving a propaganda tool to Oppn

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The current standoff in Parliament between the government and Opposition over the setting up of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe 2G spectrum scam seems to be driven more by politics of perception than any substance. The ruling Congress at the Centre does not want to have any shadow of a JPC probe on the Assembly elections in Kerala,West Bengal,Tamil Nadu and Assam next year,it was reliably learnt.

A JPC probe would mean that as long as it continues,there would be leaks,insinuations and innuendos to the effect that the Congress will be on the defensive rebutting the Opposition charges all the time. The Opposition would like to keep the issue alive through the JPC, a senior Congress leader told The Indian Express on Tuesday explaining the partys dilemma on the Oppositions demand for a JPC to probe 2G spectrum scam. Besides,the government cannot be seen surrendering to the Oppositions pressure on every issue,he said.

Congress sources said a JPC would give a big propaganda tool to the Left,which looks set to be ousted in both Kerala and West Bengal in next years Assembly elections. In Tamil Nadu,even though the Congress is exploring the option of going it alone in the Assembly election to revive the party in Dravidian land,it can ill-afford to hand over the same tool to the AIADMK. In Assam,the ruling Congress fancies a third consecutive term.

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2011 is a crucial year for the Congress in terms of expansion and consolidation of its base in some regions of the country. You dont want it to be blighted by some imagined spectre of corruption haunting the UPA government. Dr Manmohan Singhs leadership has given a very clean image to our government. That was one of the major factors in the last Lok Sabha election. This is what the Opposition is trying to undermine, said another Congress leader.

Ruling party sources said while a PACs mandate would be limited to looking into accounting discrepancies as may figure in CAG report,a JPC will have a bigger mandate to ascertain reasons for the irregularities and fix the roles of players including individuals and institutions.

A JPC can summon a minister. It may ask for files and documents from the Prime Ministers Office. Politics is a game of perception and the Opposition would use every step of the JPC probe to create propaganda against the UPA government, said a Union minister. Moreover,even if a JPC is constituted,the CAG report has to go to the PAC,which would mean two parallel inquiries.

The ruling dispensation has,therefore,taken recourse to citing constitutional provisions about the CAG report being referred to the PAC to reject the Oppositions demand.

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On Monday,Congress spokesman Shakeel Ahmed said,Government has the mandate to rule the country. Opposition has the right to express its views. They can raise peoples issues and problems. But they do not have the mandate to force the government to do what they want. The people have not given the mandate to the Opposition for it.