New Delhi: Apparently seeking to pacify an angry BJP, JPC chief PC Chacko on Tuesday dismissed reports that the panel has named former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in its draft report in the 2G scam. "We have the highest regard for Atal Bihari Vajpayee. This report has not mentioned the name of Vajpayee. We have not made any reference to the former Prime Minister," Chacko, who is also the Congress spokesperson, told reporters at the AICC briefing.
His remarks have come at a time when moves are afoot to bring all non-Congress members on the JPC together as part of plans to defeat the report, which has given a clean chit to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram in the whole issue. There were also reports that the committee's draft has named Vajpayee, which was strongly contested by Chacko.
The clarification by Chacko from the party podium was made on a day, when the Opposition upped the ante for the resignation of the Prime Minister on the coalgate issue, which was summarily dismissed by Sonia Gandhi. Amid Opposition closing in the ranks against him on the JPC report, Chacko denied that JPC reports are decided by the game of numbers saying there has been a precedents of adopting the reports with dissenting notes. "I am sure that some dissenting notes will come and I welcome that," he said.
Ahead of the April 25 meeting of the panel, when the report is to be adopted, Chacko said there is "nothing new" in the latest written submission made by former Telecom Minister A Raja and that "there is nothing that we have to re-examine". To a question on whether he apprehends that his fate would be that of PAC Chairman Murli Manohar Joshi, who had found himself in minority on the 2G report issue, Chacko said, "I wish it should not happen to me. I have been very cooperative and courteous to everybody. I have full faith that the members in my committee will have a full discussion."
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