The comments by a former official of CAG over the report on 2G spectrum allocation today kicked up a row with Congress President Sonia Gandhi suggesting that BJP had been exposed while the government demanded answers from Parliament's PAC chief M M Joshi over his alleged role.
Yes,certainly I think so," said Gandhi when reporters in New Delhi asked whether BJP had been "exposed" by Singh's comments.
Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Murli Manohar Joshi today dimissed allegations by former auditor R P Singh that he tried to influence the outcome of the 2G report as an attempt to malign the institutions of CAG and PAC.
"RP Singh's allegations on 2G report are an attempt to malign Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and PAC by vested interests including the government," Joshi told reporters in New Delhi.
Taking note of allegations levelled by a former CAG official on the body and PAC about 2G allocation losses, the government on Friday demanded that PAC chairperson Murli Manohar Joshi and CAG clear the air on the issue.
"The issues raised by RP Singh, former DG, P&T, in CAG are very germane. What is extremely important is that in May 2010 when the draft report was prepared the loss was quantified at Rs. 2,645 crore but in November 2010 when the report was presented in Parliament this loss jumped to Rs. 1.76 Lakh crore. How did this leap of faith take place?" information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari told reporters in Delhi.
"After completing the audit of ministry of telecom, which was under my direct charge, I prepared a draft audit report covering each and every aspect ... My report did not contain any loss figure," he had said on Thursday.
Tewari asked who was responsible for increasing the presumptive loss figures and said this issue should be addressed by the CAG.
"The second question is about propriety. The PAC is supposed to independently exercise oversight over the reports of CAG. If what RP Singh has said is true about the CAG officials actually taking assistance of the PAC in the preparation of its report, does this not amount to a conflict of interest?" Tewari said.
He sought to know if this is a convention or a tradition which has been followed earlier and whether this was done officially or unofficially.
"These are questions that the PAC Chairperson, Murli Manohar Joshi, for whom I have the utmost respect, needs to answer," the minister said.
Joshi on Friday said Singh had never raised the issue when he had appeared before PAC to explain the loss to the exchequer caused by the 2G spectrum allocation.
"I wonder why he is speaking today," he said.
"Singh had made a similar statement after his retirement. But when we questioned him he denied giving any interview. He was questioned on the issue by the Joint Parliamentary Committee as well but he failed to prove anything," Joshi said.
Joshi said it was impossible for the report to be written under pressure and Singh himself had written it.
On his fresh allegations, he said the former CAG officer has also not furnished any document to prove his claims.
"It (Singh's allegations) is an attempt by the government to cover up corruption by defaming these institutions (PAC and
CAG) which are watchdogs of misappropriation of funds. It is part of that campaign," he said.
CAG) which are watchdogs of misappropriation of funds. It is part of that campaign," he said.
Joshi termed as "baseless" Singh's claims that CAG officials had met him at his residence on a gazetted holiday
to help him prepare PAC's report on 2G spectrum allocation.
to help him prepare PAC's report on 2G spectrum allocation.
Asked about Congress demand for a probe into the allegations, the BJP leader said, "Congress can demand any absurd thing. It is their last attempt to cover up their misdeeds."
The BJP on Friday also denied these allegations and maintained that it has been proved that government suffered losses in the 2G spectrum allocation and that there was corruption in the deals.
BJP MP and party secretary Balbir Punj, said, "RP Singh's charges are meaningless. Two facts have been established in the 2G spectrum case. One that there was a huge loss to the government and secondly there was corruption in the allocations. Had there been no loss the licenses would not have been cancelled and A Raja would not have gone to jail."
NCP leader DP Tripathi maintained that constitutional bodies like the CAG should not be brought into a controversy. "If what R P Singh has said is true then the losses pointed out by CAG are too high."
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