Why is Cong shying away from JPC in 2G, asks BJP

Asserting that the Bharatiya Janata Party would continue to insist on a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the 2G spectrum allocation issue, senior party leader M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said it is the government's responsibility to resolve the stalemate in Parliament.

"The government is adamant on JPC. Adamancy and arrogance are not helpful in democracy. Better the ruling party accept the JPC and end this stalemate. The ruling party alone will be held responsible for the present stalemate if it continues beyond Tuesday," Naidu told mediapersons in New Delhi.

Asked if any middle path is possible to break the impasse, he said the matter is not anybody's personal issue. "It is not a personal issue to find a middle path. It is the government's responsibility. Whose duty it is to find solutions to the problems faced by the country? We are in opposition and we are ready to cooperate. But there is no proposal from the government. They also say 'we do not understand (how to end the stalemate).' You are in power and you say that you do not understand," he said.

"The government is duty bound to explain and come up with a solution... The entire country is agitated because of the massive amount involved. The amount involved in Bofors scam was about Rs 64 crore. Today, it is about Rs 1,76,000 crore. The government wants us to keep quiet. That too, after the CAG gave a report. Let the government respond on this. Otherwise, this stalemate will not end," he said.

Speaking at a symposium organised by the BJP, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley alleged that the government is yet to come up with a clarification as to why a JPC probe is not required into the issue.

"Today, there is a stalemate in Parliament. The stalemate is why do we want a JPC. I have still not found a convincing reply coming from the government as to why we must not have a JPC," he said.

Pointing that such a stalemate is not happening for the first time, Naidu said Congress did not allow Parliament to function for 17 days when it was in Opposition and party had boycotted (Defence Minister) George Fernandes for one full year.

Speaking at the symposium, Jaitley hit out at the United Progressive Alliance government over the 2G scam and alleged irregularities in the conduct of the Commonwealth Games.

"We are told that on the basis of an auditor's report, let a Public Accounts Committee go into this question. But who will go into the question of corruption, who will go into the conduct of the Prime Minister as to how this was allocated? How did he keep quiet for the last two years?" he asked.

Citing the example of Central Vigilance Commissioner, he alleged that the UPA government has converted agencies that are supposed to check corruption into institutions of cover up by appointing tainted persons.

Taking pot shots at the "dynastic politics" of Congress, he alleged that the ruling party is adopting double standards when it comes to giving leadership in Andhra Pradesh.

"Look at what is happening in Andhra. Why the party is being torn apart. Congress cannot have double standards. That is what somebody in Andhra Pradesh is asking, you want dynasty in Delhi, why don't you have dynasty in Hyderabad also. So, the rebel of Hyderabad is playing the leadership of Delhi in the argument of leadership of Delhi," he said.

Talking about the Kashmir issue, Jaitley said Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru committed "historical blunders" over the crucial issue which let it burn even today.

"When refugees were coming from west Pakistan, an iron curtain was put by Panditji and said no refugee in Kashmir. The first opportunity was lost. Thereafter, you went and unilaterally announced that wishes of people would be taken into consideration. I saw in newspapers today when a Delhi court asked police to file cases against some people who made anti-national speeches, they said we only said what Panditji had said (about taking wishes of people into consideration)," he said.

"You allowed it to be internationalised by going to the UN. And then, when the Constitution was being framed, you said I give it separate status," Jaitley said.

He said there cannot be compromise on the issue of sovereignty of the country and that the country should shun dynastic politics for merit to prosper.

"Dynasty shuns merit. Let's not become a dynastic democracy," he said. Claiming that the nucleus of Third Front, the Left parties, may lose in the coming West Bengal and Kerala Assembly polls, Jaitley predicted that a bipolar polity would emerge with UPA on one side and a stronger National Democratic Alliance on the other.