The Hindu : Stalemate continues over PAC issue

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Aug 14, 2003

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Stalemate continues over PAC issue

By Our New Delhi Bureau

NEW DELHI AUG. 13. The denial of the Central Vigilance Commission's (CVC) report on defence purchases to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) dominated both Houses of Parliament today.

The issue remained unresolved in the Lok Sabha leading to its adjournment for the day while in the Rajya Sabha, the Chairman, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, rejected the demand for a statement from the Prime Minister.

The main ground for Mr. Shekhawat's refusal for a discussion was that the PAC had finalised its report on defence purchases during the Kargil conflict (Operation Vijay) without considering a CVC note especially prepared for the purpose.

"As consideration by the PAC at this stage does not appear complete, a discussion now on this matter in this House, would, therefore, not be appropriate," he observed.

Moments after Mr. Shekhawat finished reading a seven-page statement, the Opposition MPs got up and walked out of the House.

However, the Congress Chief Whip in the Rajya Sabha, Pranab Mukherjee, later explained to newsmen that the walkout was not to protest the Chairman's observation but against the move of taking up official business.

Mr. Mukherjee said the party would not be able to cooperate with the Government unless the Prime Minister replied to the demand for a discussion on the PAC report and the verbatim proceedings of the PAC meeting were tabled in the House.

Mr. Shekhawat's statement mainly touched upon two aspects of the controversy. The first, that the CVC has neither conducted the investigations nor given a report on the procurements for `Operation Vijay' or the Kargil operations.

With regard to the core of the dispute — the CVC probe into defence deals and denial of the report to the PAC — he said that out of all the items taken up for investigation by the CVC, only two appeared to relate to procurements for `Operation Vijay'. These items were mentioned in a "factual note" submitted by the CVC to the PAC Secretariat on June 27. However, this note was not considered by the PAC even though its Secretariat had "expeditiously" requisitioned the note from the CVC.

While the Rajya Sabha returned to transacting official business without the Opposition, slogan-shouting MPs forced the adjournment of the Lok Sabha for the day. Trouble started as soon as the House met with MPs belonging to the Congress, the Left parties and the Rashtriya Janata Dal storming into the well of the House demanding the resignation of the Defence Minister, George Fernandes.

The Lok Sabha Speaker, Manohar Joshi, held out the promise of a Government statement on the matter if question hour was allowed to continue, but the Opposition showed no signs of relenting, leading to the first adjournment.

Similar scenes were witnessed when the House met again after an hour. The Opposition continued to raise slogans against the Government and Mr. Fernandes. In the midst of all this, the Speaker allowed the tabling of a statement on the ONGC helicopter crash and the House adopted a motion moved by Mr. Fernandes.

He also asked the Finance Minister, Jaswant Singh, to introduce the Bill relating to banking regulations and miscellaneous provisions. Mr. Joshi was pleading with the members to resume their seats, but sensing their mood he ordered all the special mentions to be tabled and adjourned the House for the day.

Meanwhile, reacting to the comment by the BJP parliamentary party spokesman, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, that the Rajya Sabha Chairman's ruling was a vindication of their stand, Mr. Mukherjee said it was a "sad commentary" on the part of the Government.

"It is a political matter, a fight between the ruling party and the Opposition."

The Congress chief spokesperson, S. Jaipal Reddy, alleged that the Government was playing "hide and seek. We seek (the CVC report), they (Government) hide".

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