New Delhi: The controversy surrounding the multi-million dollar Indian Premier League rocked and disrupted Parliament on Friday with Opposition MPs in Lok Sabha demanding the setting up of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to investigate the alleged irregularities in the league.
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee replying to the debate on the IPL controversy assured the MPs that a decision on setting up of a joint parliamentary committee to investigate the IPL will be taken after "due diligence".
"In these matters everything has to be done with due deliberations. It cannot be instant coffee. I have noted the suggestions of the honourable members and it will be communicated to the Prime Minister," said Mukherjee.
But when the Opposition MPs continued to raise slogans against the IPL, Mukherjee reminded them that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Government still enjoyed majority in the House.
"You demanded that I should respond. I got up to respond but still you are going on. I say most respectfully we are still here. We still have the majority," he said.
Earlier, raising the matter in the House BJP MP and Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj alleged that the Government was protecting leaders from the Nationalist Congress Party and demanded that an investigation be ordered into the entire controversy.
"The Government may not conduct an impartial inquiry as they want to save their coalition. We need a Joint Parliamentary Committee to investigate this," said Sushma.
Sushma raised the issue of Praful Patel's daughter allegedly using her father's clout to force Air India to abort a scheduled Delhi-Coimbatore flight and instead used the plane for a chartered flight to ferry IPL guests from Chandigarh to Chennai.
She was supported by other MPs including Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav, who said that ministers must be accountable for their actions, and Communist Party of India leader Gurudas Dasgupta.
"This is a very serious issue. Two ministers have already been named in the IPL scam. We need a Joint Parliamentary Committee to investigate this," Yadav demanded.
He also claimed that IPL Chairman Lalit Modi had links from Rajasthan to Mauritius.
"It is a massive scam unparalleled in the history of independent India. It is an unimaginable violation of law. This was all taking place for the last two years under the nose of the Government," claimed Dasgupta.
Mukherjee assured the members that he would convey the sentiment of the House to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, but also added that everything could not be done in a hurry.
But the MPs continued to demand an investigation and shouted slogans on the IPL controversy following which Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the House till 12 noon.
After the adjournment Mukherjee discussed the issue of setting up of a JPC into IPL in a meeting with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Bansal and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V Narayanasamy.
When the Lok Sabha resumed at 12 noon, the ruckus over the IPL continued forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House till 1400 hrs IST. The controversy also disrupted the Rajya Sabha forcing its adjournment till 1430 hrs IST.
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