The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh said that he is ready to appear before the Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) looking into the 2G spectrum allocation. Categorically stating that he has nothing to hide from the public, Dr. Singh said that he believes that like Caesar’s wife, the Prime Minister should be above suspicion and that is why he is prepared to appear before this parliamentary panel even though there is no precedent to that effect. He was addressing the 83rd plenary of the Congress on its concluding day on Monday. Dr Singh also said that PAC which is examining the CAG report on the spectrum allocation has all the powers which can be given to the JPC and the government is obliged to take action on the recommendations of the PAC which is headed by BJP leader Dr Murli Manohar Joshi. The Prime Minister said, the government is of the considered view that no purpose will be served by JPC except to delay the inquiry and politicise the matter as multifaceted action is already in place to probe the issue. He said that the inquiries into 2G spectrum allocation and organisation of Common Wealth Games will be pursued vigorously and promised that no guilty person will be spared how so ever powerful the person may be or to which ever party he may belong to. AIR correspondent says that was for the first time Prime Minister spoke in detail on the allegations of corruption levelled against his government on the alleged 2G spectrum scam. In her concluding remarks, at the end of the conclave, Mrs. Gandhi said that nothing can detract the party from the accomplishments made by the Congress led UPA in the past six and half years and called for confronting its political opponents aggressively. She claimed that UPA record stands out distinctively as compared to what the NDA did during its rule. On assembly polls next year in some states, Mrs. Gandhi asked her party not to be complacent and take things for granted. Mrs. Gandhi said that there is simply no alternative to unity, hard work and discipline.
News On AIR | December 20, 2010 8:50 PM
PM ready to appear before PAC in 2G issue; asserts no guilty person to be spared