Panel to probe tapes too

The parliamentary panel probing the bribe-for-vote scandal, which met on Wednesday for the first time, decided to go through the tapes in detail before looking into various aspects, reports Prasad Nichenametla.

The parliamentary panel probing the bribe-for-vote scandal, which met on Wednesday for the first time, decided to go through the tapes in detail before looking into various aspects of the episode that shook the nation during the trust vote.

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The committee, headed by senior Congress Member of Parliament V. Kishore Chandra Deo, convened for about 45 minutes mainly to discuss the course of action to be followed in the coming days. The panel, which is expected to submit its report on August 11, will now meet on August 4.

“Today's meeting was basically to discuss how the probe should be conducted. All seven members of the panel would view the tapes first and then call the three MPs (who complained that they have received cash for votes),” Kishore Chandra Deo told HT.

V K Malhotra, BJP's deputy leader in Lok Sabha, said he could not meet the Speaker as he was indisposed to press the demand of the BJP-led NDA alliance that the 7-member special committee to be expanded to give representation to more political parties. The NDA had decided in its meeting that the probe committee should have 11 members like the cash-for-queries probe committee.”