Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) Or Parliament's 'Public Accounts Committee' (PAC)?
JPC or PAC? Or Why Not Both?
There is another view that sees Dr Joshi’s contradiction of his party’s stand that a PAC has a limited mandate as an attempt, by a leader sidelined in his party since the takeover by Mr L.K. Advani and his faction, to reassert himself. The BJP feels somewhat embarrassed by Dr Joshi’s flexing.
Of course, the 2G scam is not only an accounting or spectrum distribution fraud, but also encompasses an assault on the political and democratic system, the nexus between ministers, politicians, bureaucrats, lobbyists and mediapersons, and corporate intrigue. There is also the havala angle as much of the money made in the scam has flown out of the country. In this context, the JPC would be the more appropriate vehicle to look into the full ramifications of the 2G spectrum scam.
What remains to be seen is whether the PAC has the power to take action against the Prime Minister, who has volunteered to appear before the PAC. It is no one’s contention that the PM profited from it. But if he is found negligent, can he be penalised by the PAC? The point is that the PM is not the issue. The Opposition would be doing a disservice to the country, and to the furtherance of accountability and governance, if it seeks to make the PM pivotal in the inquiry.
A solution has to be found so that the Opposition does not scuttle the Budget Session of Parliament as it did the Winter Session. Some understanding could be arrived at, one being that the Opposition should await the outcome of the investigation since the Supreme Court is monitoring the investigation.
Alternatively, a JPC can be formed with the limited objective of governance. The guilty will be pinpointed by the courts and the issue of governance won’t be overlooked.
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