Left parties today strongly criticised the "deliberate leak" of the draft report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the 2G scam, saying it amounted to breach of parliamentary privilege and seeking a probe into it.
"This is most unfortunate that even before the members of the JPC like me got the report, its specifics were out in the newspapers this morning... We will take it up as it is a breach of privilege of Parliament," senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters here.
He said that such drafts and discussions in parliamentary committees are not made public before the panels come out with the final report.
"It is a serious matter that a draft report, prepared by the JPC Chairman (P C Chacko) has been leaked. It must be seriously investigated," Yechury said.
After going through part of the 350-page report and another 250 pages of annexures, "I think we will be forced to submit our notes of dissent on it," he said.
In the same vein, veteran CPI leader A B Bardhan said the draft JPC report has "deliberately been leaked to find out our reactions."
He said the intent of the Congress and Chacko, in particular, "is in question" as "the report has been prepared to give a clean chit to the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister. Despite our continued demands, why was (former Telecom Minister) A Raja not called to depose before the JPC."
A political storm broke out today over the draft JPC report on 2G scam with Raja claiming that all decisions were taken in consultation with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the BJP accusing Chacko of trying to save the government.
