New Delhi: With Opposition continuing to
stall Parliament, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal on Tuesday sought to
remind BJP of the Tehelka expose during NDA regime, saying the
Congress had then agreed to have a debate instead of being
adamant on the JPC demand.
"BJP should ask itself the question...when NDA was in
power and Tehalka episode took place, we stalled proceedings
in Parliament for a while and sought a JPC. Please ask the NDA
and the BJP to find out what their Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpaye said," he said.
"He (Vajpayee) said at that time that please have a
debate in the House and after the debate is over, we will see
whether the demand for JPC is valid or not. We did not
continue to stall the House. We had a debate in the House,"
Sibal recalled about the events of 2000.
Sibal was talking to reporters on the sidelines of
Jamia Millia University's annual convocation ceremony here.
Criticising BJP for being adamant on its demand for a
JPC probe into the alleged 2G scam, Sibal said nothing has
changed between now and then except that the BJP is in
Opposition and the Congress is in power.
He was referring to the Tehelka sting operation in
which BJP President Bangaru Laxman was allegedly caught
accepting bribe. He was later forced to resign.
"When they were in power they wanted a debate in the
House and when they are in opposition they oppose a debate in
the House. People of India should know the kind of ideology
and principles they follow," Sibal said.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, November 23, 2010, 21:43