New Delhi: An aggressive Opposition will return to Parliament today, after the weekend, armed with new ammunition against the government. It is expected to particularly target Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit over charges in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on the Commonwealth Games.
Both the BJP-led NDA and the Left have indicated that they would insist on the suspension of proceedings in the two Houses to allow them discuss the CAG's explosive report. (Read: Highlights of the auditor's explosive report on CWG)
The CAG report, released late last week, has indicted the Delhi government for mismanagement of the Games and both the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Left have indicated that they will insist that regular proceedings in both Houses be suspended on Monday, to allow focus on this.
The BJP is likely to demand a statement from the government on Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Ajay Maken's charge that the decision to appoint Suresh Kalmadi as the CWG Organising Committee chief was taken during NDA rule. It may also demand discussion on the CAG's censure of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Mr Kalmadi's appointment.
The BJP has also demanded that Mrs Dikshit resign because of the charges against her the CAG report. Mrs Dikshit, the report finds, cost the government hundreds of crores through mismanagement. (Read: CAG report blames Sheila for losses, PMO for endorsing Kalmadi)
The Delhi Chief Minister has refused to comment yet except to say on Friday that, "We can assure when the report goes to the PAC, whatever departments are asked to answer queries of the PAC, we will cooperate with them completely and fully."
2G scam report
Battlelines are also drawn over India's largest-ever swindle, the 2G telecom scam. The reworked Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on the 2G scam has sparked a fresh furore with UPA members on the parliamentary panel demanding the removal of senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi as PAC chairman. (Read: PM should own up responsibility for scams, says CPM)
The reworked report, circulated among PAC members on Sunday, questions the role of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram.
Senior Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam - also a member of the committee - slammed the reworked report, saying it "deserves to be thrown into the dustbin". Mr Nirupam claimed that there was no change in the reworked report and sought to know why the opinion of constitutional experts was not present in the report.
Mr Joshi had, in a forwarding letter sent to PAC members, said that he was sending them the draft report again after consulting constitutional experts, rules of procedures and "past precedents".
On June 28, Mr Joshi had made a similar attempt to place the report before the new PAC but his efforts were thwarted by members of the UPA. It was then decided that constitutional experts be consulted on whether the report, recently returned by Speaker Meira Kumar, can be considered by it.
Speaker Meira Kumar had returned the report to Mr Joshi, who was reappointed as Chairman in May, suggesting it was not supported by the entire PAC whose term ended on April 30.
The reworked report could spell more trouble for the government. Mr Joshi's last report on the 2G scam had been rejected by the UPA members in the PAC but this time, the ruling coalition doesn't have the numbers to scuttle the report.
In the 21-member committee, nine members support the report, but nine are against it. Three members of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are neither supporting it nor opposing it and one seat is vacant. Hence, if the Congress wants to get the reworked report of the PAC rejected, it will need the support of the SP and the BSP.
The 2G telecom scam, described as India's largest-ever swindle, is being investigated by the CBI and is being closely monitored by the Supreme Court. It unfolded in 2008, when companies were given mobile network licenses and spectrum at throwaway prices by then Telecom Minister A Raja, who is from the DMK, a major partner in the UPA coalition at the Centre. "The matters in court are best left for court to decide," said the PM this morning.
Both the BJP-led NDA and the Left have indicated that they would insist on the suspension of proceedings in the two Houses to allow them discuss the CAG's explosive report. (Read: Highlights of the auditor's explosive report on CWG)
The CAG report, released late last week, has indicted the Delhi government for mismanagement of the Games and both the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Left have indicated that they will insist that regular proceedings in both Houses be suspended on Monday, to allow focus on this.
The BJP is likely to demand a statement from the government on Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Ajay Maken's charge that the decision to appoint Suresh Kalmadi as the CWG Organising Committee chief was taken during NDA rule. It may also demand discussion on the CAG's censure of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Mr Kalmadi's appointment.
The BJP has also demanded that Mrs Dikshit resign because of the charges against her the CAG report. Mrs Dikshit, the report finds, cost the government hundreds of crores through mismanagement. (Read: CAG report blames Sheila for losses, PMO for endorsing Kalmadi)
The Delhi Chief Minister has refused to comment yet except to say on Friday that, "We can assure when the report goes to the PAC, whatever departments are asked to answer queries of the PAC, we will cooperate with them completely and fully."
2G scam report
Battlelines are also drawn over India's largest-ever swindle, the 2G telecom scam. The reworked Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on the 2G scam has sparked a fresh furore with UPA members on the parliamentary panel demanding the removal of senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi as PAC chairman. (Read: PM should own up responsibility for scams, says CPM)
The reworked report, circulated among PAC members on Sunday, questions the role of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram.
Senior Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam - also a member of the committee - slammed the reworked report, saying it "deserves to be thrown into the dustbin". Mr Nirupam claimed that there was no change in the reworked report and sought to know why the opinion of constitutional experts was not present in the report.
Mr Joshi had, in a forwarding letter sent to PAC members, said that he was sending them the draft report again after consulting constitutional experts, rules of procedures and "past precedents".
On June 28, Mr Joshi had made a similar attempt to place the report before the new PAC but his efforts were thwarted by members of the UPA. It was then decided that constitutional experts be consulted on whether the report, recently returned by Speaker Meira Kumar, can be considered by it.
Speaker Meira Kumar had returned the report to Mr Joshi, who was reappointed as Chairman in May, suggesting it was not supported by the entire PAC whose term ended on April 30.
The reworked report could spell more trouble for the government. Mr Joshi's last report on the 2G scam had been rejected by the UPA members in the PAC but this time, the ruling coalition doesn't have the numbers to scuttle the report.
In the 21-member committee, nine members support the report, but nine are against it. Three members of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are neither supporting it nor opposing it and one seat is vacant. Hence, if the Congress wants to get the reworked report of the PAC rejected, it will need the support of the SP and the BSP.
The 2G telecom scam, described as India's largest-ever swindle, is being investigated by the CBI and is being closely monitored by the Supreme Court. It unfolded in 2008, when companies were given mobile network licenses and spectrum at throwaway prices by then Telecom Minister A Raja, who is from the DMK, a major partner in the UPA coalition at the Centre. "The matters in court are best left for court to decide," said the PM this morning.
Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/parliament-resumes-nda-attacks-ajay-maken-124945&cp
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