Parliament logjam: Speaker calls all-party meet

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar will hold an all party meet in Delhi on Thursday as a fresh initiative to break the impasse over a joint parliamentary committee probe into the 2G spectrum issue.

The meeting has been spread over two days keeping in view the availability of leaders in the wake of the relatively short notice at which the meeting has been called.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday confirmed that her party would attend the all-party meet and discuss the future course of action with all the concerned parties.

She, however, asserted that the party remains firm on its demand for a JPC.

The Speaker had earlier held a meeting with leaders to end the impasse but it proved futile. The BJP and other opposition parties insist that the Public Accounts Committee does not have the powers to fully investigate the 2G spectrum scam and a JPC should be constituted.

Former telecom minister A. Raja was forced to resign in November under considerable pressure from the Congress, which continues to be attacked in Parliament by the Opposition on corruption charges.

The 2G-spectrum allocation has reportedly caused an alleged loss of Rs1.76 lakh crores to the government, the comptroller and auditor general of India has stated in a report.