Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: Not willing to let go of the demand for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the alleged irregularities in the allocation of 2G spectrum, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders on Tuesday took to the streets to protest against the government’s stand on the issue.
Directly attacking the Prime Minister, veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani questioned the reluctance of the government to initiate a JPC probe. He said, “There is no earthy reason or convincing and credible reason to deny a JPC. It is sheer stubbornness and obduracy.”
"The nation wants to know why the government is reluctant to order a JPC," he asked.
Talking to reporters, the senior BJP leader said, "This is first time that the entire session was washed out on
one issue.”
Advani said the opposition protest was not aimed at overthrowing the government. “The Opposition did not demand mid-term polls and such suggestions were in fact given by a minister in the government.”
The BJP veteran said that Congress has been completely isolated on the issue with even the UPA allies being split; he also sought to put the entire blame on the government for the complete washout of the Winter Session of the Parliament.
Referring to the Radia tapes, the former deputy prime minister said that the people of the country have been shocked by the expose, while suggesting that corporates seem to be deciding the UPA cabinet.
He opined that the 2G scam has proved that the PM is not calling the shots in the government and that “lobbyists decide the cabinet not Sonia Gandhi or PM”.
On the reasons behind the Opposition’s strategy to not allow the Parliament to function, Advani argued that had they allowed the Parliament to function, the Congress would not have been forced to act against A Raja, Ashok Chavan or Suresh Kalmadi. He also referred to the CAG report about the loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the national exchequer due to the irregularities in the allocation of 2G spectrum.
“But after all this, the real beneficiaries are still yet unknown. We have taken such a strong stand as we want to know who the real beneficiaries of the scam are,” he said.
“We cannot understand why the government is reluctant to a JPC, the maximum they said was that the PAC (Public account committee) is looking into it, let it (PAC) carry on, but it cannot check who are the lobbyists of different business houses which pressed for Raja as the telecom minister,” he added.
Advani said that the NDA, starting December 22 from Delhi, would organise all across the country – in Mumbai on January 16 - protests against the government and highlight the issue of corruption.
