Public Accounts Committee Chairman Murli Manohar Joshi tells Gyan Varma the committee proceedings were derailed because some members wanted to defend the Prime Minister on the 2G spectrum issue
You have been re-nominated as the PAC chairman. Given the happenings in the last PAC, are you confident the new one can work peacefully? Will you still pursue your earlier report?
PAC is a committee that is based on non-political lines and has remained bi-partisan. I have always worked like that and will continue to do so. The PAC members are mature and senior parliamentarians. So, the committee will continue to work normally. The subjects that would be taken up by the PAC would be vetted and studied by the Comptroller and Auditor General and a selection would be made by the members.
For the last few months, the issue of corruption has taken centre stage, causing a tussle between the government and the Opposition. This has also led to regular disruption of Parliament. A whole session was disrupted and the tussle seems to have also affected the functioning of a parliamentary committee. Do you think this is going to remain the order of the day?
The issue of corruption is the most important one, which is disturbing the conscience of the nation. It has eroded the polity, the economy, and the moral and ethical values of the great civilisation of India. This has resulted in mind-boggling disparities, depriving millions of education, health, employment and even basic amenities such as food and water. The issue has to be India’s most important problem, needing urgent solutions.
But, my worry is that all Constitutional positions to unearth the causes and quantum of this corrosive disease are being thwarted. If any minister says the PAC report should be thrown in the dustbin, then tomorrow they will decide that a Parliament’s decision should be thrown in the sea or a Supreme Court judgement in the dustbin. It is possible only in the Congress party, which imposed the Emergency and did not follow the Constitution. So, now they can go to any extent to deprive the common man of his basic right to know what is happening to his hard-earned money.
From being an ideal parliamentarian and the PAC chairman to someone who outsourced the PAC report... these are the allegations made by your fellow parliamentarians. Why are such attacks being made against you all of a sudden?
The only reason I see is that some Congress leaders are at it because the names of the Prime Minister and some other ministers were mentioned in the report. They have decided not to remain silent because of this. Is this the reason to charge me like this? The PAC report is drafted by the Lok Sabha Secretariat. It is based on evidence documents and is vetted by the CAG. The members of the PAC are given the opportunity to read and suggest changes, if there is any factual error in the report or in the recommendations. So, to say that the report was outsourced is ignorance. They don’t realise that by making such allegations, they are reducing every parliamentary proceeding to a level where they will be looked down with suspicion.
It has been alleged by BJP President Nitin Gadkari that four ministers were guiding the Congress party and DMK members even as the PAC meeting was going on. Can you tell us who these ministers were, trying to influence the members of the PAC?
The ministers have been seen and their names appeared in the press, and they have not even denied it.
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Of the 21 members in PAC, 11 have rejected the report. Yet, you submitted the report to the Lok Sabha Speaker. Is it possible that a PAC report can be completely rejected like this? Don’t you fear that the Lok Sabha Speaker might also reject the report?
The news item that says 11 members rejected the report is highly ridiculous. A theatre of the absurd was enacted after I adjourned the meeting.
When it was decided that the PAC members would question the principal secretary to the Prime Minister, the cabinet secretary, the law secretary and the director of the Central Bureau of Investigation, what went wrong that day?
The only thing that went wrong was that some members didn’t want the proceedings to continue for reasons best known to them. It appeared that some had come determined to see that witnesses don’t make a statement before the PAC members.
All along the members of the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party were with the Opposition parties, demanding action against those involved in the 2G spectrum allocation scam. How did they decide to switch sides suddenly? How will the BJP take on Mayawati?
This question should be put to them. The reasons are best known to them. It is an enigma to me why they suddenly became defenders of the corrupt. I am not concerned with elections. This issue of corruption is beyond election and political parties. The issue is directly related to the very existence of democracy in India and the greatest threat to the Indian civilisation.
You have talked about launching a jan jagran against corruption. What kind of movement are you planning to launch?
I have been talking to friends and all those people who are deeply interested and who feel that this issue is vital. I am also talking to my party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). I have decided to move around the country and make people aware that there is a need to fight corruption at all levels. I want to create a social order where there is zero tolerance for corruption. When I discussed this idea with LK Advani, he congratulated me and BJP President Nitin Gadkari has also agreed there is a need to fight corruption in the country. The party will stand by me and we want to fight a conclusive battle against corruption and let the people decide.