PM rules out investigation by JPC

Meanwhile, the corporate affairs ministry too, said it is not conducting any ?probe? into the affairs of Indian Premier League but only ?seeking information? on all franchisees.

?JPC for what? This is not a fit case for JPC,? Singh said when asked about the demand for a JPC into the phone-tapping allegation. Asked whether the government had rejected the demand for a JPC on the IPL issue, Singh said, ?I don’t think there is a need for a JPC. A JPC is a very serious issue. We can’t rush to such a conclusion in haste.? Singh said home minister P Chidambaram had explained the phone-tapping allegations in Parliament. ?I had offered to come before Parliament after 3.30 pm if there was a sitting, but there was restlessness,? he added.

Corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid said, ?My ministry is merely collecting information that we should have in the normal course of those companies that are franchisee companies.? ?Because a lot of questions are raised publicly, we should do our due diligence,? he added. His ministry had, last Wednesday, asked the Registrar of Companies to collect all details on IPL franchisees, including the bidding process, sweat equity and memorandum of association within a week. Last week, Khurshid had said his ministry would try to find out whether the ?equity structure (of IPL franchises) is hazy or not and whether filings are available. If there is any discrepancy, we will look into it?.

Allegations of illegal telephone tapping on political leaders disrupted both Houses of Parliament on Monday, although the government maintained it had not authorised any such activity nor it found any substance in them. ?I wish to state categorically that no telephone tapping or eavesdropping on political leaders was authorised by the previous UPA government. Nor has the present UPA government authorised any such activity,? Chidambaram said in the Lok

Sabha amid slogan shouting by agitated Opposition members. He made an identical statement in the Upper House.