Parliament stand-off continues

A Raja's resignation did not stop the stalemate in Parliament as the Opposition reiterated its demand for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into three scams — 2G spectrum, Adarsh society and Commonwealth Games – even as the government rejected it.

A Raja's resignation did not stop the stalemate in Parliament as the Opposition reiterated its demand for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into three scams — 2G spectrum, Adarsh society and Commonwealth Games – even as the government rejected it.

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Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), headed by the BJP's Murli Manohar Joshi, was like a "permanent JPC" and would go into the CAG report on 2G spectrum sale in detail.

Echoing this view, home minister P Chidambaram said: "The CAG report will go to the PAC. All parties are represented in it."

The CAG report is expected to be tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, though the House will in all probability be held up again. Mukherjee has also called an all-party luncheon meeting on Tuesday, where there might be attempts to break the ice. Sources said there was a possibility of a compromise in the form of a discussion on corruption in Lok Sabha under Rule 184, which entails voting.

The BJP is adamant on a JPC probe. "We can't predict the future but we will try to force the government to give in. Which government has agreed to a JPC in the first 10 days," said a senior BJP leader.

Countering the government claim that a PAC would suffice, a senior BJP leader said a JPC was wider in ambit and could look into all three scams.

"PAC does paragraph-wise post-mortem of CAG report, not probe," said SS Ahluwalia.

"The government will tell us Raja has resigned and the CBI will probe corruption," said another leader.

"The position of the CBI is anyway compromised. So, a JPC should probe corruption."

However, in what may signal a break in Opposition unity, Left leaders hinted they were not keen on endlessly holding up Parliament, though they are committed to cornering the government on corruption.