Congress seeks JPC probe into stock market scam

Our Political Bureau

New Delhi, April 16: THE Congress party on Monday persisted with its demand for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the stock market scam even as impasse continued over the Tehelka issue.
“We want a JPC on the stock market scam. We request the government to facilitate a discussion in the matter,” Congress spokesman Jaipal Reddy told newspersons here on Monday.

More than the Tehelka issue, however, it was the reported CBI enquiry against the Congress party leader Ms Sonia Gandhi that seemed to be bothering the party. “Our Prime Minister, we are pained to note, has chosen to operate at the same level of maturity as that of Dr (Subramanian) Swamy,” Mr Reddy said, referring to charges of corruption made by him against the Congress president.

Mr Reddy made it plain that the Congress could not cooperate with the government till it cleared its position regarding the CBI enquiry against the party chief. He said there were several versions coming from several quarters of the government.

“We are interested in smooth functioning of Parliament. But the onus shifts squarely on the government. The government must come clean on the Tehelka issue and in the manner in which it handled Dr Swmay’s letter,” Mr Reddy stressed.

Both houses, as expected, were adjourned on Monday after brief obituary references on former deputy prime minister Devi Lal who passed away last week.

For greater part of the day on Monday, the government, the Congress and other opposition parties were separately engaged in discussions as to how to end the continuing impasse. The Speaker, Balayogi, also held an all-party meeting earlier in the day to find out a solution.

Mr Balayogi is continuing his exercise with a meeting of the business advisory committee of Lok Sabha slated late in the evening.

The political affairs committee (PAC) of the Congress met and discussed the line of action to be adopted in the light of the CBI enquiry against party chief. Most of the non-Congress opposition parties have taken the view that Parliament should be allowed to function and that the Congress could fight its own battle on the Sonia issue.

In an effort to break the deadlock, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is likely to meet Ms Gandhi shortly, according to ruling party sources. The Congress spokesman, however, denied any knowledge of it at the party’s daily briefing.

To the question if the Congress would participate in the parliament debate on Tuesday, Mr Reddy evaded a direct reply.

“We would take stock of the situation on a daily basis,” he said, hinting that the party would take a decision only on Tuesday.

Knowledgeable party sources said the Congress party is waiting for a possible meeting between the Prime Minister and Ms Sonia Gandhi. It is also waiting for the outcome of the business advisory committee’s meeting which finalises the parliamentary agenda for the week.

Even as the impasse continued, there was suggestion from some opposition parties for the curtailment of the second phase of the budget session in view of the assembly elections in five states. The government has, however, taken no view on it.

The major beneficiary of the impasse, at the moment, appears to be the finance minister who would be the instant target of attack by the opposition on issues like stock market scam, customsgate leading to the arrest of CBEC chief B.P.Varma and bullion scam involving several banks, among others.

The Opposition aim is to embarrass the government on the eve of the assembly elections. For that matter, even the Congress is bent upon raking up these issues once the houses sit down for normal business.