Pranab Mukherjee defends UPA on three scams

New Delhi : Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday defended the Congress-led UPA government on the three scams (Adarsh Society, Commonwealth Games, 2G) that are rocking the winter session of the Parliament since Tuesday.

?Adash is one of the many housings being set up across the country,? Mukherjee said, holding that “Indian Parliament has nothing to with it.”

“It is in the domain of Maharashtra government,” he added.

Regarding the Commonwealth Games scam, Mukherjee said for that already a probe panel has been instituted as demanded by the MPs.

On the 2G scam involving Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) minister A Raja and the CAG report that indicted him (the telecom minister), he said: “We will follow constitutional procedures.”

On Tuesday, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj came down heavily upon the UPA government over the Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society and Commonwealth Games (CWG) scams.

?Since Day 1 of the UPA regime, every day a new scam surfaces. Take the period between monsoon and winter seasons of the Parliament?.2G scam, CWG scam, and now Adarsh scam?it seems there is corruption in all government projects,? Swaraj said at the Parliament.

?There is corruption in the flagship programmes of the government. I would like the UPA to take up the ongoing corruption issues immediately and take strict action against them,? Swaraj said.

On the other hand, on Wednesday, both the houses of the Parliament were adjourned as the opposition created uproar in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha over their demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the 2G Spectrum allocation, Adarsh Housing Society allotments and CWG scams.

Telecom minister A Raja is already under intense scrutiny by the telecom watchdog, civil society and the Supreme Court and in its latest report on the alleged 2G spectrum, the CAG said that the minister for IT and communications ignored advice from the PM and ministries of law and finance, and the recommendations of the Telecom Commission to allocate 2G spectrum to a select group of companies at throwaway prices.

On Tuesday, the ruling Congress party cracked its whip on corruption ahead of the winter session of Parliament accepting the resignation of Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan over the Kargil war widows’ housing scam.

The acceptance of the resignation will make it easier for the Congress to defend themselves in the winter session of Parliament.

Chavan had to resign over the Adarsh housing scam in which flats meant for Kargil war widows and families were allotted to politicians, their kins and defense top brass in Mumbai.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Prithviraj Chavan has been chosen as the Maharashtra Chief Minister on Wednesday after the MLAs authorised Congress President Sonia Gandhi to take the final call.

Also, Suresh Kalmadi, the Congress MP and Commonwealth Games (CWG) Organising Committee chief, was fired from the post of a secretary in the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP), for his alleged role in the Commonwealth Games scam.