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Fernandes offers clarification on PAC issue
New Delhi, Aug 07: Defence Minister George Fernandes today said he had offered to show the CVC findings on arms deals to the Public Accounts Committee Chairman Bhuta Singh, who denied the offer was ever made.
New Delhi, Aug 07: Defence Minister George Fernandes today said he had offered to show the CVC findings on arms deals to the Public Accounts Committee Chairman Bhuta Singh, who denied the offer was ever made.
Asserting that CVC report on defence deals contained "top secret documents of the CBI and IB", the Minister said still "We had offered to show the CVC report to PAC chairman. We had made similar offer to N D Tiwari when he was chairman of PAC."
Denying Fernandes' claim, Buta Singh said he had met the Defence Minister only once in the presence of the Speaker when he had declined to show the CVC report to either of them.
Stating that the security affairs needed utmost vigil and care, "They (PAC) are asking us to open CBI and IB documents" adding "tomorrow they will ask us to open borders too".
Speaking informally to newsmen after the opposition forced adjournment of the Lok Sabha in protest against the Defence Ministry's refusal to submit the CVC report to PAC, the Minister said in the past too governments had declined to place top secret documents before the committees keeping in view the security interests of the country.
He cited the example of when the present Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the PAC chairman during the Congress regime the government had not submitted secret documents to PAC, adding "nobody had made an issue out of it".
Bureau Report
Denying Fernandes' claim, Buta Singh said he had met the Defence Minister only once in the presence of the Speaker when he had declined to show the CVC report to either of them.
Stating that the security affairs needed utmost vigil and care, "They (PAC) are asking us to open CBI and IB documents" adding "tomorrow they will ask us to open borders too".
Speaking informally to newsmen after the opposition forced adjournment of the Lok Sabha in protest against the Defence Ministry's refusal to submit the CVC report to PAC, the Minister said in the past too governments had declined to place top secret documents before the committees keeping in view the security interests of the country.
He cited the example of when the present Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the PAC chairman during the Congress regime the government had not submitted secret documents to PAC, adding "nobody had made an issue out of it".
Bureau Report