Oppn demand for JPC probe red herring political stunt: Singhvi

Dismissing the Opposition demand for a JPC probe into the 2G spectrum allocation scam as a "red herring political stunt", Congress on Saturday accused them of trying to keep the issue boiling by insisting only on it.

Chennai: Dismissing the Opposition demand
for a JPC probe into the 2G spectrum allocation scam as a "red
herring political stunt", Congress on Saturday accused them of
trying to keep the issue boiling by insisting only on it.

"It is a red herring political stunt and that is why
we are not accepting it. If we are scared why would there be
eight proceedings, including CBI and IT probes into the
matter," AICC spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said.
Speaking to reporters here, he charged the Opposition
with trying to keep the issue boiling.

"What extra will the JPC do that the CBI or the Income
Tax department cannot do? The Opposition wants to divert and
digress and keep the issue boiling," he said, adding all
possible help to Public Accounts Committee had been offered,
including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh volunteering to appear
before the panel, headed by BJP`s Murli Manohar Joshi.

Singhvi, who was here to attend a function, said there
is a difference among Congress and BJP and other parties when
it came to acting on corruption charges.

"There are these eight proceedings going on in the 2G
spectrum issue alone. As for as BJP is concerned, the party
not only legitimised Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa
(on land scam and illegal mining allegations) but also
reappointed him," he said.

While any political party had to face corruption
charges, it was Congress which acted on them, he said in an
apparent reference to scams such as Adarsh Housing and
Commonwealth games linked to its party leaders.
Asked if the 2G spectrum allocation scam had
`embarrassed` his party, he said it arose only when there was
an attempt to hide or cover up things.

"We are unequivocally committed for punishing the
guilty and that such things don`t recur," he said.

On Congress-DMK ties and AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa`s
offer of support to the former in case of DMK`s exit over the
spectrum issue some weeks back, he said, "As of now, we
(Congress and DMK) are in a marriage. We are where we are."

Condoling the death of pilgrims at Idukki district in
a stampede on Friday, he said preventive mechanism should be
evolved to ensure such mishaps do not recur.

Responding to the recent killing of a Tamil Nadu
fisherman allegedly by the Sri Lankan navy, he said the party
was "intensely concerned".

Referring to the price rise issue, he said the Centre
was adopting a `concerted multi-pronged` strategy to manage
it.

PTI

Zee News App: Read latest news of India and world, bollywood news, business updates, cricket scores, etc. Download the Zee news app now to keep up with daily breaking news and live news event coverage.