 "PAC not to summon PM Modi to explain note ban move")
Virtually rejecting its chairman K V Thomas’s view, the public accounts committee (PAC) of Parliament on Friday decided that the Prime Minister will not be called before it after BJP members strongly objected to the Congress leader's remarks that he may be asked to appear over the demonetisation issue. BJP is Bharatiya Janata Party.
The decision came after a storm was kicked up by the ruling party members on Thomas's statement earlier this week that the PAC can call Prime Minister Narendra Modi to depose on the note ban issue.
Referring to the Speaker's directions related to the rules overseeing financial committees and those concerning calling prime minister or ministers, the committee said in a release, "Ministers shall not be called before the committee either to give evidence or consultation in connection with the examination of estimates of accounts. However, chairperson, when considered necessary but after its deliberations are concluded, may have an informal interaction with the minister."
BJP members including Nishikant Dubey, Bhupender Yadav, and Kirit Somaiya raised the issue of Thomas's statement and said the committee does not have powers to summon the prime minister.
Dubey had earlier written to Lok Sabha Speaker saying Thomas's remarks that Modi could be called to appear before it over the issue of demonetisation is "wrong, unethical and against laid-out parliamentary procedures".
In the meeting, Thomas is believed to have clarified that what he meant was that the committee can summon the prime minister if it takes a unanimous decision and cautioned against "killing the institution". The statement said officials may be called to give evidence in connection with the examination of estimates and accounts relating to particular ministries in line with existing rules but not prime minister or ministers.
During United Progressive Alliance government, too, the then PAC chairperson Murli Manohar Joshi's decision to summon the then prime minister Manmohan Singh in connection with the 2G telecom spectrum scam had triggered a massive row, with Congress members strongly objecting to it. Joshi was overruled as the ruling coalition enjoyed a majority in the committee.