The BJP has submitted a dissent note against a parliamentary panel's draft report on the 2G spectrum scam, alleging a "cover-up" to protect Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram (File photo)
The BJP today rejected a parliamentary panel's draft report on the 2G spectrum scam alleging a "cover-up" by the Congress-led government and taunted Rahul Gandhi saying he should "tear it up in the next session."
"The report is a bundle of contradictions, untruths and half-truths," said Yashwant Sinha, one of the six BJP members in the Joint Parliamentary Committee or JPC that investigated the 2G scam. "It would be better if the Congress vice president (Rahul Gandhi) reads the report and tears it up."
Submitting a 36-page dissent note, the BJP slammed Congress leader PC Chacko, who heads the 30 member panel, for "ignoring every possible evidence" and refusing to summon the Prime Minister and Mr Chidambaram to explain the government's role in 2008, when then Telecom Minister A Raja allegedly scripted the telecom swindle, giving away 122 licenses and precious spectrum at throwaway prices.
After submitting their dissent note, the BJP also gave a copy to the Lok Sabha speaker, saying that they feared that their note may be 'edited and mutilated'.
The controversial draft report says A Raja "misled" the Prime Minister and manipulated a first-come-first-serve policy to push ineligible companies to the top of a long line of applicants for mobile network licences and second-generation or 2G airwaves.
The report also rubbishes the loss figure of Rs. 1.76 lakh crore estimated by the government's auditor saying it was "ill-conceived".
"The manner in which the JPC handled the report, MPs in future will dread asking for a JPC probe," says the BJP in its dissent note. "The 2G scam was the country's biggest scam ever. The Supreme Court intervened and licences were cancelled. The people of this country were looking for accountability from the JPC."
The BJP had earlier threatened to quit the JPC but Yashwant Sinha said the party had decided to stay in the panel and fight.
A Raja's DMK, the Left and Biju Janata Dal have already submitted dissent notes against the draft report.
The report was adopted by a majority with 16 votes in its favour. The Congress was reportedly helped by allies NCP, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and even the Janata Dal-United, which had opposed the draft report till it ended its 17-year-long partnership with the BJP in June.