New Delhi: Finance Minister Pranab
Mukherjee Tuesday parried a question on whether UPA allies were
pressurising the Congress to yield to the Opposition demand
for a JPC probe into the 2G spectrum scam.
"I do not know whether leaders of the Opposition are
reconsidering and thinking of allowing the House to function.
If they do that we will welcome it," Mukherjee told reporters
here.
Mukherjee did not respond to a specific question on
whether UPA allies were pressurising the Congress to yield to
the Opposition demand for a JPC probe.
UPA allies TMC, DMK and NCP have reportedly favoured a
JPC probe as the continuing deadlock in Parliament may go
against them. TMC and DMK are also wary of being seen by the
electorate as shielding the corrupt during the next year's
Assembly Elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu respectively.
NCP is also reportedly of the view that Parliament
impasse should end and the JPC demand should be accepted by
the government.
However, these three parties have in public maintained
that they are strongly behind the government on the JPC issue.
Congress had even called a meeting of its allies
yesterday to discuss this issue but it was cancelled later.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, December 07, 2010, 15:08