JPC likely to call Vahanvati, cabinet secy for deposition

Even as the Opposition and UPA members are sparring over calling political heavyweights as witnesses before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on telecom, both sides may agree to call attorney general GE Vahanvati and former cabinet secretary KM Chandrasekhar to depose before the panel.

Even as the Opposition and UPA members are sparring over calling political heavyweights as witnesses before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on telecom, both sides may agree to call attorney general GE Vahanvati and former cabinet secretary KM Chandrasekhar to depose before the panel.

Top sources in the Congress told HT that JPC chairman PC Chacko had started meeting opposition and other leaders to end the logjam over the list of witnesses that has stalled the proceedings since July.

HT Image

The Congress members are adamant that it would not allow the Opposition to seek PM Manmohan Singh or finance minister P Chidambaram’s appearance before the panel.

“No way we will allow this to happen. The opposition is trying to score political brownie points,” said a key member of the UPA.

A section of the opposition also sought to call Singh’s principal secretary Pulok Chatterjee and advisor TKA Nair before the panel to quiz him over the role of the PMO. This demand too, is likely to be rejected.

Former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran, however, may be asked to depose as a witness. “CBI arrested A Raja even as there was no chargesheet. But Maran is roaming free even after being chargesheeted. He needs to answer a lot of questions,” said CPI’s Gurudas Dasgupta.

But both sides may agree to call Vahanvati as there have been a lot of communication between then telecom minister A Raja and him.

The JPC will meet on Wednesday and fireworks are expected between BJP and Congress over finalising the witness list.