New Delhi:
Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal's attempt to defend the government on the 2G spectrum allocation by calling the CAG report "erroneous" now faces an offensive from Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).
First, at the PAC meet on Wednesday, Opposition members attacked Sibal.
"The minister's remarks have hurt the CAG and the PAC. He is the minister of the department whose actions are under scrutiny. We will decide on appropriate action to ensure that there is no repeat," PAC Chairman Murli Manohar Joshi said.
Then, the CAG came out with a strong statement against Kapil Sibal.
"Making public comments on the matter which is being considered by a Parliamentary Committee is highly improper and may even amount to contempt of the House," a CAG statement said.
Though the Congress backed the Telecom Minister, the flutter in PAC can bring personal trouble as the complaints are specifically against Sibal.
Some Left and BJP leaders say his public statement was an attempt to put the PAC and the CAG on the defensive. The Opposition is also pleased that it was the Congress that had opted for the PAC while ducking the demands for a JPC probe.
Congress sources, however, say that it won't back down on the issue. But government's floor managers are worried that this may increase the friction over the 2G scam as the clock is ticking for the Budget Session.
The fathers of Indian Constitution had created the PAC-CAG matrix to ensure checks and balances in public spending. Political observers say that the politics over PAC probe and the doubts over the CAG audit are aberrations which should be rectified quickly.