New Delhi:
As the Opposition remained adamant over a JPC probe into the 2G spectrum issue, Congress today said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's offer to appear before the PAC was his "personal sentiment" and did not mean that the government had conceded to any demand.
"There is no question of devaluing by offering to appear voluntarily....there is hardly any question. He (PM) showed respect on a voluntary basis. It is a personal sentiment in a certain context. He is under no legal obligation. He is not setting precedents. It is to show to the people that he has nothing to hide and the continued obstruction of Parliament was a gimmick," party Spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters at the AICC briefing.
His remarks came in response to a volley of questions whether Manmohan Singh's offer to appear before the PAC was not in sync with the party's stand on the issue that the Opposition's sole aim behind demanding JPC was calling Prime Minister before it and the party will not allow denigrating the institution of Prime Minister.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, another party leader described the Prime Minister's offer as "right emotional gesture to communicate with the public".
The leader admitted that Singh's offer indeed came as a surprise to most of the partymen at the plenary, but added that it must have been the result of prior consultations with party Chief Sonia Gandhi.
Soon after the Prime Minister's remark, AICC General Secretary Digvijaya Singh had hailed it as a "masterstroke" and had congratulated him for his "brave and extraordinary" offer.
Singh had, however, steered clear of questions on whether the Prime Minister was "belatedly brave" as he could have made the offer earlier thereby saving the washout of winter session as also queries pointing out that even Congress President Sonia Gandhi had attacked Opposition for seeking his appearance before the JPC.
Singhvi's statement came hours after NDA targeted the Prime Minister at a rally and demanded his resignation, saying Singh cannot wash his hands off the corruption that has taken place. (Read: Will target PM in anti-corruption campaign, says BJP)
"The Prime Minister should form the JPC and answer our questions and if you (PM) cannot answer our questions, then you should step down from your post on moral grounds," Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said in his address at an NDA rally here against corruption.
The Congress spokesperson pilloried BJP over the rally, saying the "champions of inaction on corruption are preaching it to those who have declared a war on corruption".
"How can a party of Dilip Singh Judeo and Bangaru Lakshman (former BJP President) can have a rally against corruption," Singhvi asked referring to corruption scandals in which names of these leaders had surfaced in past.
"It was a rally by hypocrites who have got their names registered in the Guiness Book of Records for their expertise in Parliamentary disruptions," he alleged.
"There is no question of devaluing by offering to appear voluntarily....there is hardly any question. He (PM) showed respect on a voluntary basis. It is a personal sentiment in a certain context. He is under no legal obligation. He is not setting precedents. It is to show to the people that he has nothing to hide and the continued obstruction of Parliament was a gimmick," party Spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters at the AICC briefing.
His remarks came in response to a volley of questions whether Manmohan Singh's offer to appear before the PAC was not in sync with the party's stand on the issue that the Opposition's sole aim behind demanding JPC was calling Prime Minister before it and the party will not allow denigrating the institution of Prime Minister.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, another party leader described the Prime Minister's offer as "right emotional gesture to communicate with the public".
The leader admitted that Singh's offer indeed came as a surprise to most of the partymen at the plenary, but added that it must have been the result of prior consultations with party Chief Sonia Gandhi.
Soon after the Prime Minister's remark, AICC General Secretary Digvijaya Singh had hailed it as a "masterstroke" and had congratulated him for his "brave and extraordinary" offer.
Singh had, however, steered clear of questions on whether the Prime Minister was "belatedly brave" as he could have made the offer earlier thereby saving the washout of winter session as also queries pointing out that even Congress President Sonia Gandhi had attacked Opposition for seeking his appearance before the JPC.
Singhvi's statement came hours after NDA targeted the Prime Minister at a rally and demanded his resignation, saying Singh cannot wash his hands off the corruption that has taken place. (Read: Will target PM in anti-corruption campaign, says BJP)
"The Prime Minister should form the JPC and answer our questions and if you (PM) cannot answer our questions, then you should step down from your post on moral grounds," Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said in his address at an NDA rally here against corruption.
The Congress spokesperson pilloried BJP over the rally, saying the "champions of inaction on corruption are preaching it to those who have declared a war on corruption".
"How can a party of Dilip Singh Judeo and Bangaru Lakshman (former BJP President) can have a rally against corruption," Singhvi asked referring to corruption scandals in which names of these leaders had surfaced in past.
"It was a rally by hypocrites who have got their names registered in the Guiness Book of Records for their expertise in Parliamentary disruptions," he alleged.
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