A day after the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) headed by senior Congress leader P.C. Chacko adopted its draft report on 2G spectrum allocation scam, which gave clean chit to the Prime Minister and finance minister P. Chidambaram but indicted former communications minister A. Raja, Opposition parties accused Mr Chacko of “throwing norms to the wind “and “bull-dozing” the adoption of the report. The BJP will be filing a dissent note on the report. CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta lambasted the JPC chairman for presenting the report, saying both Dr Singh and Mr Chidambaram were “morally and legally” responsible for the enormous losses caused to the exchequer. Maintaining that the JPC report was “bulldozed,” BJP leader Ravishankar Prasad also attacked Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for remaining quiet when his party leader while chairing the JPC had “thrown all norms to the winds” to ensure adoption of the report. Targeting former ally JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav, BJP’s deputy leader in Rajya Sabha questioned his absence at the last meeting of the JPC when its report was to be adopted. Mr Prasad wondered what “compromises” the once disciple of Ram Manohar Lohia made with the ruling party. With the support of outside allies BSP and SP and absence of JD(U) members, the government on Friday managed to have its way in the JPC when the panel approved the draft report with a 16-11 vote in its favour. Eleven Opposition members, including BJP’s 5 and one each of BJD, TMC, CPI, CPI(M), AIADMK and DMK voted against the JPC report. Of the total 30 members in the committee, three members, including Gopinath Munde from BJP, and Sharad Yadav and Ramchandra Prasad Singh — both JD (U) — were absent. Out of the 27 present, the ruling side got the votes of Congress (11), NCP (one), BSP (2), SP (1) and nominated member from Rajya Sabha Ashok Ganguly.
