‘PAC may decide on examining PC’

Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi threw hints on Monday that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) — of which he is chairperson — would discuss the possibility of examining home minister P Chidambaram in relation with the allocation of the 2G spectrum.

Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi threw hints on Monday that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) — of which he is chairperson — would discuss the possibility of examining home minister P Chidambaram in relation with the allocation of the 2G spectrum.

“As and when the PAC takes up the 2G report in the light of new documents, the committee will be free to take a decision to examine anybody, including P Chidambaram,” Joshi said in reply to a question whether the PAC would summon the home minister in view of the recent finance ministry note that created a sensation.

Earlier too, there was speculation if the PAC would call the Prime Minister after his offer to appear before it, but this did not happen and even the “report” Joshi prepared saw opposition.

The PAC can’t summon a cabinet minister without the speaker's approval.

Attacking the government, Joshi told reporters that law minister Salman Khurshid had accepted there were differences within the government.

Joshi sought to know exactly what aspect of the finance ministry note Pranab Mukherjee disagrees with now. He added that Mukherjee had bowed to pressures from the “political environment and head of the family” when he tried to go back on note seen by him.

He pointed to another difference within the government: rural development minister Jairam Ramesh “differences” with planning commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia on the categorisation, and said that it was high time Ahluwalia was removed from the planning commission as he had no “sympathy” with the poor.