Govt to reply to SC, Oppn readies for attack

Buoyed by the SC's observation on PM's 'silence' on the spectrum scam, Opposition appears set to intensify itscampaign in Parliament today for setting up a probe by a JPC even as Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium will address SC's queries. See cartoon

Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium will today address Supreme Court's queries related to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's 'silence' in the spectrum scam.

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The Congress said that the government will give an appropriate response to Supreme Court's queries.

"The Supreme Court has asked the government a question and the government will give an appropriate response on Thursday," Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said in response to a specific query on the apex court's observations.

At the same time, Tewari said it would be inappropriate and uncalled for to "second guess anything" on this issue.

Facing a volley on questions on Singh's "inaction", he asserted that the Prime Minister did take action by securing Telecom Minister A Raja's resignation before the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) was tabled in Parliament.

"The Prime Minister has taken action. It is wrong to say he has not acted. Even before the CAG report was tabled in Parliament, it was the Prime Minister who secured the resignation of the Telecom Minister," Tewari said.

Tewari also praised former Communications Minister Arun Shourie as an eminent journalist and supported his contention that there was no need for a Joint Parliamentary Committee on the issue of 2G spectrum allocation.

On BJP's allegations about Rahul Gandhi aide Kanishka Singh's involvement in scams in Commonwealth Games-related projects, Tewari said Kanishka had given his explanation and the party has nothing more to say about it.