2G scam: 2 editors appear before PAC, more in line

In an interesting turn of events, the Public Accounts Committee Chairman Murli Manohar Joshi summoned two senior editors of newsweeklies to depose before the PAC in connection to the 2G spectrum scam. Vinod Mehta and Manu Joseph, editors of Outlook and Open Magazine respectively were interrogated about the transcripts of the phone conversations that corporate lobbyist Niira Radia had with others, which were carried in their publications.

The recordings had exposed among other things the efforts made by Radia, who represented top corporate clients, to get Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam leader A Raja the job of telecom minister after the United Progressive Alliance won the Lok Sabha elections in May 2009.

However, the PAC has not called for the interrogation of the main players in the scam, which include Radia and other corporates, politicians, bureaucrats and senior journalists Barkha Dutt and Vir Sanghvi, who were part of the conversation. Asked if any of those whose names that cropped up in the Radia tapes would be questioned, Joshi said the committee is yet to take a call on this.

It is however learnt that the committee has sent letters to both Barkha Dutt and Vir Sanghvi to appear before it in the next meeting. So far no date has been fixed for the next meet since Parliament is in session, say insiders.

Mehta and Joseph were called by the committee to give details

on how and why the transcripts of the tapes were published.
However, after appearing before the PAC they refused to divulge details saying they were under oath.

According to the Joshi, the two editors told the committee that they had verified the authenticity of the tapes before publishing them and that the tapes had been published as they were, with no additions or deletions. There was no motive behind publishing the transcripts but it was a pure act of journalistic duty with the purpose of giving information to readers, the editors told the PAC. The chairman said the committee was interested in hearing what the journalists had to say and they were very impressed by them as they gave answers without dodging any issues.

Joshi also clarified that PAC member N K Singh, whose conversation with Radia was also published in the magazines, had offered to recuse from the hearings with regard to the Radia tapes. The chairman said the committee appreciated his gesture and agreed with him.

The PAC chairman said corporate entities like Uninor, Reliance and Tata had submitted their objections to the findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the 2G issue. "These objections had been referred to the Department of Telecom, CAG and SEBI for clarifications," Joshi said. Joshi said the PAC has not yet taken a decision on calling Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to appear before it.