Press Briefing Friday, 14th January 2011

Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan addressed the media today.

Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan said I wanted to make a reference to a press release which has been issued by the Comptroller & Auditor General on 12th January. On the second page, it starts by saying that following needs to be put in proper perspective as there appears to be an incorrect perception in the public mind. Then it talks about Article of the Constitution, under which the reports of the CAG are submitted to the President, who causes them to be laid before each House of Parliament. Then it talks about discussion of report of the CAG. It says all reports of CAG are automatically transmitted to the Public Accounts Committee. However, not all reports are discussed by the PAC. The next paragraph is the one I refer to. According to the next paragraph, it says as per Para 1.12 of the Rules of the Parliamentary Procedure, when any matter is under consideration of a Parliamentary Committee, and the committee is holding its sittings for that purpose, no person including a Member of Parliament should make or publish or comment about that matter. Making public comments on the matter, which is being considered by a Parliamentary Committee, is highly improper and may amount even to contempt of the House. This is what the CAG says. Letters and opinions to this rule of the CAG, who is an important adjunct of the PAC and attends all its meetings, did not make any comment on the media reports on the report of 2-G spectrum allocation as it was under discussion of the PAC. Now we are little surprised and a little distressed because this particular paragraph of press release seems to contain a suggestion that the MPs do not have a right to speak on any particular issue. I have gone through carefully the rules and procedure of Parliament, and subject to correction, as far as I can find, there is no rule 1.12 which prohibits any MP from speaking upon any issue which is being considered by a Committee. In any event, I would certainly, as a Member of Parliament, take some what seriously any suggestion that my right to speak as a MP and functions, is improper or incorrect or that it cannot be done especially when it comes from another constitutional authority, which is not a part of the legislature, nor a part of the structure of the legislature, except as a Member of the PAC. This would also suggest which again is a cause of some surprise to us, that only, if at all, what is considered improper is criticism of the report, because even before the report was tabled in Houses of Parliament, the Members and Leader of the Opposition have continuously spoken about this report. And before us, question really is, whether this suggestion is confined to the criticism of the report, because such a Press Release has not been issued earlier when from November or even at the end of October. There has been a constant stream of criticism from leaders of the opposition Mr. Advani, Mr. Jaitley, Mrs. Sushma Swaraj, who naturally criticized the government on this. Every single newspaper, every TV channel carried reports regarding this particular report. So, the suggestion that only one particular aspect of it would have been improper, in strong language, which we find some more surprising. Thirdly, we would also like to clarify that this report, which is being discussed, was tabled in the Parliament on the 16th of November, but even from 19th October, it has come into the public domain. On the 19th of October in the Economic Times, on 20th October, 21st October, and on 3rd November, in fact, in certain sections of press, in very great details including the amount of money involved, which areas, the way it was calculated, all this has come in the public domain before it was tabled on the floor of Parliament and Mr. Raja resigned even before Parliament started. So, we would also like to express our concern that once MPs are advised regarding proper conduct, we would also like to be aware how these leaks happened from 19th October because all this is not in the PAC assuming that the perception which I actually do not accept. The fact is now it is in the public domain. So, all these dates on which all these extremely detailed reports which is not even before the government, to my knowledge, on 19th October, how it appears in a section of press, is something, the nation is entitled to know.

On a question whether CAG in any way is responsible for the leak, Smt. Natarajan said, No, I would like to know. I am not attributing any responsibility. I think the nation would like to know.

On another question as to the contradicting statements on the issue by the Congress party, Smt. Natarajan said our stand is very clear. The issue is not a difference in perception. Today I am giving you a statement. Perhaps Mr. Abhishek said something different yesterday, which I am not aware. Today I have seen the Press Release of CAG where it suggests that it is improper for MPs to speak and that worries me as MP. That is why I raised that. I suggest that there can be only one view and there should be one view on this. I am saying there can be one standard. It cannot be one standard applied to those who accept the report and another for those who criticize the report because it is all in the public domain. Various shades of opinion are totally possible.

To another question referring to the statement of Shri Kapil Sibal where he said that there is no loss to the exchequer on 2-G spectrum allocation and the report of CAG saying something different, Smt. Natarajan said I am not dismissing anything? The matter is before the PAC. I am speaking for the Congress party. He is a Minister. I do not speak for the government.

To another related question whether the Congress party supports Mr. Kapil Sibal, Smt. Natarajan said, absolutely, we do support him on this issue.

On another question whether the Congress party apprise the PAC of their concerns and the fact that your members are of the PAC, Smt. Natarajan said, sure, it will be done by our Members.

On the question whether the Congress party is attacking the constitutional authority, Smt. Natarajan said we are surprised and disturbed. It is a surprising assumption because to suggest that MPs cannot speak, is a very strong suggestion coming from a constitutional authority.

On another question over the views of the Congress party about presumptive losses, Smt. Natarajan said it is being studied. Mr. Kapil Sibal has been talking about it. We have always held a view that the enquiry should go on. We have to get to the truth of the matter. So we will wait for the enquiry to continue. We will not prejudge the issue.

On the reaction of the Congress party on demolition of mosque in Jangpura, Delhi, Smt. Natarajan said I am sure the matter will be sorted out amicably. I have read those reports, for two days; there has been lot of disturbances in Nizamuddin area.

On another question over the arrest of the victim along with the alleged accused in Banda rape case, Smt. Natarjan said it is an outrage that the victim is behind the bars and that it took so long for the UP government or for that matter any government to even move to arrest the perpetrator. I think it is outrage utterly condemnable and the person who was guilty, after due procedure of law, should immediately be punished in the strictest possible terms. Smt. Natarjan further said there is a police. The concern is more that the establishment took so long to react especially in the case of completely helpless young dalit girl and I think that administration and establishment should do their job in the fastest possible manner.



Tom Vadakkan
Secretary, AICC