In a face-saving exercise, the BJP on Thursday managed to extract a public statement from Murli Manohar Joshi that he fully backed the party?s demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the 2G spectrum scam. However, despite some tough talking apparently by party chief Nitin Gadkari and a nudge from the RSS, the BJP veteran stuck to his tune that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has ?vast powers?.

Clarifying his position, the former BJP chief said that as a member of the party, ?I stand fully committed to the demand for formation of a Joint Parliamentary Committee to look into the border questions related to corruption facing the country today?.

Joshi had driven flak from party members for his pro-active examining of the CAG report on the 2G spectrum allocation as PAC chief, at a time when his party was leading the demand for a JPC into the issue and arguing that the PAC has a limited mandate. Joshi was also accused of speeding up the PAC probe.

While associating himself with the JPC demand, Joshi again underlined the PAC?s ?vast powers?, contradicting the party?s view. ?As the chairman of the PAC, I believe in the committee?s vast powers in bringing greater accountability to public spending. I commit myself to playing this role effectively,? he said.

Joshi also stated that the PAC would look into matters of public spending ?based on the CAG reports?. ?The PAC has a constitutional jurisdiction and its function is well laid out. It shall function within its purview and within the rules and procedure of Parliament… The PAC does not deal just with the Telecom Ministry. It analyses every report of CAG dealing with various ministries,? he said.

With Joshi?s statement helping the party project a united stand, the BJP seized on his JPC remarks and ignored his assertions about the PAC. BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman stressed that he had made his position very clear on the JPC demand and ?attention should be paid to that?.

Sources said Joshi was called to Gadkari?s Ferozeshah Road residence last night, and was clearly told that his ambiguous stance on the JPC demand was sending the wrong message.

Sources said the BJP also managed to get the RSS leadership to send a signal to Joshi to pipe down.