CPI sticks to JPC, says misquoted

The Communist Party of India (CPI), one of the prominent Left Front constituents, on Sunday said its leader was misquoted by electronic media on its decision to give up the demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the 2G scam as a precondition to join Parliament.

The CPI issued a statement in which it said electronic media had quoted party leader Gurudas Dasgupta wrongly on the JPC.

“What he said was that ‘while not withdrawing the demand of JPC, while fighting for JPC, Parliament should be allowed to discuss not only for JPC but also other important people’s issues’,” the statement said.

The largest communist party- Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)- has said it will not give up its demand on JPC.

During the day, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee also softened his earlier statement equating the Opposition with the Maoists for boycotting Parliament and said in Chennai he will try to convince them to join the House.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has expressed shock at the remark of Mukherjee.

‘I am shocked to read the statement of Pranab Da who happens to be Leader of the House in Lok Sabha,” said Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj on Sunday on Mukherjee attacking them with the examples of Maoists who do shun parliamentary democracy and believe in the rule of gun.

“Does the demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee amount to not having faith in Parliamentary democracy and the Constitution?” asked Swaraj.

“The truth is that Government has more faith in the Courts and the CBI. It is the Government that is making the Parliamentary institutions redundant,” she said.