New Delhi:
BJP leader Yashwant Sinha has written another letter to the Prime Minister saying he is disappointed that Dr Manmohan Singh has chosen not to testify on the telecom scam for a parliamentary committee unless summoned to do so.
Mr Sinha, who is a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee or JPC that is studying the 2G scam, points out in his letter that Dr Singh had made a "grand offer publicly" to appear before another House committee and so should not hesitate to do so before this one.
He also says that he finds "it difficult to agree with your claim that neither the government nor you have anything to hide in this matter."
(Read full letter)
Mr Sinha has spearheaded a demand that the PM voluntarily depose before the panel, after the JPC, which is headed by the ruling Congress' PC Chacko, held that Dr Singh is not required to do so. The BJP leader contends that the Prime Minister was aware of the alleged malpractices employed by A Raja, who was Telecom Minister in 2008.
Last week, the Prime Minister had retaliated to Mr Sinha's dare that he testify unless he "had something to hide", by saying he and his government had nothing to hide. His office said it had submitted all documents solicited by the committee.
Mr Sinha has argued in his latest letter that if documents and records are all that the panel requires to draw conclusions, then "clearly it has wasted its time in calling so many witnesses to depose before it." The Prime Minister had said it is up to the committee to decide who to summon.
Mr Chacko had then said that the JPC has to follow procedure to summon the PM. "The PM has never said he will appear before the JPC on the 2G case... Why will the PM appear before the JPC if he has not been summoned?" he asked, also adding, "There is no question of calling the Prime Minister or any minister just like that."
Last year, the Supreme Court cancelled 122 telecom licenses issued by Mr Raja, who has spent over a year in jail, is on trial for criminal charges, and claims that the Prime Minister and Finance Minister P Chidambaram were aware of the policies he followed and must therefore be held accountable for any irregularities.
Mr Raja has been urging the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which has nearly 30 lawmakers from different parties, to hear him out in person. But the committee has refused.
Mr Sinha claimed that in his notes to the committee that Mr Raja has levelled "serious allegations" against the Prime Minister and Finance Minister P Chidambaram and that they should explain his statements.