2G: JPC clears PM Manmohan Singh, Chidambaram

New Delhi: In another controversial move, the Joint Parliamentary Committee on 2G scam on Friday gave a clean chit to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the then Finance Minister P Chidambaram. In the process, it made former Telecom Minister A. Raja the fall guy without giving him an opportunity to present his viewpoint. Headed by P.C. Chacko, the JPC adopted the report without discussions and went straight for voting. It was adopted 15-11 even as JPC member Gurdas Gupta of the CPM had a bitter argument with Chacko. The CPM and the BJP called it a black day for Indian parliamentary democracy and promised to bring another report which will 'speak the complete truth.' The Congress had ensured a majority in the JPC by nominating two 'favourable' members to the committee. Most parties, including the NCP, a key ally of the Congress, had demanded calling Raja as a witness, saying it is only fair to listen to a person who has been blamed in the draft report. By demanding that Raja be called as a witness, it had joined opposition parties, including BJP, the Left, DMK and JD (U) over the issue. \"It is the opinion of the party. We have registered our opinion to the JPC. But we do not wish to make it into an issue. We have told the committee our stand,\" the sole NCP member in the panel Y P Trivedi had told PTI. Senior DMK member and sole representative of his party in the Committee, T R Baalu, while demanding that the former Telecom Minister be called as a witness, has also demanded examining fresh documents before adopting the report. Raja was a Cabinet minister in UPA government from DMK quota. JD(U), which has two members in JPC, was in favour calling Raja as a witnesss, saying it is against calling the Prime Minister before the panel - a demand made by BJP and the Left.